EXCLUSIVE: The Truth About The 'Golden Girls' Devastating Ending – Radar Lifts The Lid On Why Producers Pulled The Plug On The Beloved Sitcom After Seven Years
'The Golden Girls' ended after seven years when producers decided to pull the plug on the beloved sitcom.
Aug. 12 2025, Published 8:00 a.m. ET
The Golden Girls turned into fool's gold, with producers pulling the plug because of a nasty feud between two of the biggest stars – Betty White and Bea Arthur, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The pair played bosom buddies Rose Nylund and Dorothy Zbornak, respectively, but off-screen, they fought like cats and dogs, resulting in the end of the series.
The Feud That Ended The Show
Marsha Posner Williams revealed: 'Bea said, No f'ing way,' and ended 'The Golden Girls' for good.
"The show would have continued after seven years," said coproducer Marsha Posner Williams.
"Their contracts were up, and the executives went to the ladies, and Estelle said, 'Yes, let's keep going,' and Rue said, 'Yes, let's keep going,' and Betty said, 'Yes, let's keep going.'"
But Arthur – still feuding with White – put her foot down and refused to sign her name on another contract.
Alleged Williams: "Bea said, 'No f'ing way,' and that's why that show didn't continue."
No one is quite sure what triggered the bad blood between Maude star Arthur and Mary Tyler Moore Show veteran White.
Williams claimed: "Betty would break character in the middle of the show [and talk to the live audience], and Bea hated that."
Jim Vallely believed live audience applause for White fueled Arthur's lingering resentment.
Arthur also despised doing publicity and came from a theatrical background, while White welcomed publicity and came from television.
Coproducer Jim Vallely believes the animosity stems from the fact that White got more applause from the live studio audience during cast introductions ahead of tapings.
Both Arthur and Rue McClanahan (Blanche) had a bone to pick with White when she'd make fun of Estelle Getty (Sophia) for messing up her lines as she began to display early signs of dementia.
"When Estelle would forget her lines, Betty would go out of character and keep the audience laughing by making a gesture with her thumb to her mouth and point to Estelle as if she had been drinking," wrote former casting agent Joel Thurm in his memoir, Sex, Drugs & Pilot Season.
The Use Of Foul Language In The Feud
Stan Zimmerman wrote that Arthur saw White as 'two-faced' and more Sue Ann than sweet Rose.
Never Miss an
Daily updates from the heart of Hollywood, right to your inbox
By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you’re agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
Show writer Stan Zimmerman states in his 2024 memoir, The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore, that Arthur believed White was "two-faced."
"Bea liked real people. 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."
But the feud was intense. The battling stars called each other a horrific slur used for a woman at times.
Williams said Arthur would "call me at home and say, 'I just ran into that c' – meaning Betty, using the 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.'"
Joel Thurm revealed tension on 'The Golden Girls' set as cast clashed over Estelle Getty's struggles.
The coproducer added: "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."
Still, the show was an immense success, a testament to the professionalism of the feuding stars.
"When that red light was on and the show was filming," said Williams, "there were no more professional people than those women. But when the red light was off, those two couldn't warm up to each other if they were cremated together."
