EXCLUSIVE: The Shocking Dark Side of the 'Golden Girls' Exposed — Death Threats, Drama and Bea Arthur's 'Nasty' Nickname for Betty White Revealed
Insiders revealed the dark behind-the-scenes secrets of the 'Golden Girls.'
Dec. 31 2025, Published 5:30 p.m. ET
The world lost legendary comedian, actress, and animal welfare advocate Betty White four years ago on December 31, 2021. She died of natural causes at age 99.
As fans continue to mourn White's death, many have turned to rewatching her hit sitcom, The Golden Girls. While the show offered a witty and refreshing take on mature female friendships, things weren't always so cherry between the cast members on set.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the shocking dark side of the popular comedy, including behind-the-scenes drama, death threats, and Bea Arthur's "nasty" nickname for White.
'The Golden Girls' was an instant hit when it premiered in 1985.
The sitcom centered on the story of four women: Arthur starring as Dorothy Zbornak, White as Rose Nylund, Rue McClanahan as Blanche Devereaux, and Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo, who lived together in Miami.
Thanks to the cast's chemistry and well-crafted script, Golden Girls was an instant hit when it premiered in 1985.
Now, decades after the show's finale aired in 1992, the geniuses behind the sitcom have exposed all the drama they endured when cameras stopped rolling.
Death Threats Over LGBTQ+ Episode
Writer Marc Cherry recalled receiving death threats over an episode he wrote about Blanche's gay brother.
Years before Marc Cherry thrilled audiences with his hit dark comedy Desperate Housewives, he cut his TV teeth as a writer.
He wrote the controversial season 6 episode Sister of the Bride, in which Blanche's brother announces he's getting married to his boyfriend.
When the episode aired in January 1991, gay marriage was still illegal – and while the groundbreaking episode garnered a massive response from viewers, not everyone was thrilled with the subject matter.
Cherry recalled how he and his writing partner at the time, Jamie Wooten, were "called up to the office a few days after the episode aired, and (the execs) said, 'So you guys are getting death threats.'"
Despite the severe backlash, Cherry wasn't fazed.
"It's a privilege to be in this business and to be a part of those things, with the occasional death threat thrown in just for fun," the writer-producer said.
Costars Clash
Sources said Arthur didn't try to hide her disdain for White.
Almost instantly, there was said to be drama between White and Arthur on set, though insiders appeared to struggle with the root cause of the feud.
"Betty would break character in the middle of the show (and talk to the live audience), and Bea hated that,” said co-producer Marsha Posner Williams, while co-producer Jim Vallely believed tensions flared because White received more applause from the live studio audience during cast introductions.
Stan Zimmerman, who worked on the show as a staff writer, claimed Arthur thought White was "two-faced."
"Bea liked real people," Zimmerman explained. "I had the sense that Betty was more like Sue Ann Nivens, the character she played on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, than she was like Rose – more conniving than the innocent airhead from St. Olaf."
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"Bea didn't suffer fools," added actress Lyn Green, who played young Dorothy in flashback scenes. "I'm not sure she thought Betty was always sincere."
"Somebody being overly agreeable can sometimes contrast and make you look like you're an ogre," Green added. "I don't think it was easy for Bea, who was so serious."
The one thing those who spent time with the cast and worked on the show could agree on was Arthur's disdain for White.
Arthur's 'Nasty' Nickname for White
Arthur used the 'C-word' when referring to White.
The feud was so intense, Arthur was said to use a horrific slur – the C-word for a woman – when she'd refer to White.
Williams claimed Arthur "used to call me at home and say, 'I just ran into that (C-word)' at the grocery store. I’m gonna write her a letter,' and I said, 'Bea, just get over it for crying out loud. Just get past it.'"
"I remember my husband and I went over to Bea's house a couple of times for dinner. Within 30 seconds of walking in the door, the C-word came out," the co-producer added.
