Betty White does not have any biological children. However, the late American actress known for her roles in Hot in Cleveland, The Mary Tyler More Show, The Golden Girls, etc, was a stepmother to her husband’s three kids from his previous marriage. They are David Ellsworth Ludden, Martha Ludden, and Sarah Ludden.
Did Betty White Have Any Children?
Betty White did not have any biological children. The iconic actress was married three times during her lifetime and didn’t have any children with any of her spouses. She got married to her first ex-husband, Barker, in 1945. The duo were revealed to have met while Betty worked with the American Women’s Voluntary Services.
They were together during World War II but went their separate ways after the war was over. The duo did not have any children during their marriage. In 1949, the actress got hitched again for the second time to Lane Allen. In 1951, their marriage ended after she refused to meet the demands of her husband.
Lane wanted her to quit her career and start making babies, but this didn’t sit well with the actress, as she was bent on making a name for herself in her career. She found love again and started dating Allen Ludden after they met on a popular game show known as Password. Ludden had lost his wife, Margeret McGloin, to cancer.
Allen fell head over heels for Betty, but she rejected him because she didn’t see a future in New York. She eventually got married to him in 1963. He was the best couple goals keeper, till 1981 when he died due to stomach cancer. She had no children during her 18 years of marriage but is the step-mother to his three kids from his previous marriage.
How Many Kids Did Betty White Have?
Betty White does not have any biological children, but she is the stepmother to her late husband’s three children; David Ellsworth Ludden, Martha Ludden, and Sarah Ludden whom she shares a close bond with.
David Ellsworth Ludden
- Date of Birth: March 15, 1948
- Age: 80 years old
- Occupation: Professor
- Marital Status: Married
- Spouse: Dina
- Children: Mohana Sara Sdiqqi Ludden
David Ludden is the eldest son of the late Allen Ludden and Margeret McGloin, born in Hartford, Connecticut, in 1948. Following his relationship with Betty, he is her oldest step-child. David Ludden is a well-educated man, though details of his early, primary, high school, and university are unknown. According to reports, he obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1978.
He seems to have chosen the teaching career as he taught South Asian History at the University of Pennysylvania till 2007. Currently, he is a professor at New York University and teaches Asian history. Along with impacting knowledge, he has authored several books, including India and South Asia: A Short History, Peasant History in South India, Early Capitalism and Local History in South India, and many more.
David is also an award-winning personality who received a Fulbright Research Fellowship in 2009 and many more. Though he likes to stay away from the spotlight, he got married to his wife Dina on December 29, 1994. She is a researcher who focuses on feminist studies, development studies, anthropology of human life, labor and gender, Islam and women, and many more. They also have a daughter named Mohana Sara Sdiqqi Ludden, who enjoys life outside the spotlight.
Martha Ludden
- Date of Birth: 1950
- Age: 74 years old
- Occupation: Attorney
- Marital Status: Unknown
Martha Ludden is the second child born in 1950 to the late Allen Ludden by his first wife. She is the second step-child of the renowned late actress Betty White. She grew up in Chappaqua, New York, where she attended Greely High School. In the late 60s, she obtained a diploma and moved to San Jose State University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Literature.
After working for some time, she moved on to the Suffolk University Law School, where she obtained a degree in Law in 1989. Currently, she has volunteered her services as an attorney to various bodies like the University Legal Service, which sees to helping psychiatric patients get care under state law. In May 2016, she started working with the American Association of Retired Persons (a body that advocates and promotes the rights of elderly people) and is still with them to date.
Martha Ludden is also a politician who identifies with the Democratic Party. She usually takes to her Twitter handle to promote the candidates and agenda of the party. The attorney has remained tight-lipped about her relationship life as it is unknown if she is married or not.
Sarah Ludden
- Date of Birth: 1952
- Age: 72 years old
- Occupation: Martial Art Instructor
- Marital Status: Unknown
Sarah Ludden is the last child of Allen Ludden and his first wife and the last step-child of Betty White. Details of her early education have been kept off records, but it is known that she went to Horace Greely High School. After graduating from high school, she obtained a degree at Northwestern University. She worked as an audiologist and a dancer before she pursued a career in martial arts.
In 1991, she joined a martial arts and self-defense center known as Thousand Waves in Chicago. The center was established by Nancy Lanou, Kajunkenbo kung fu, and founded the Thousand Waves Scholarship Fund.
Reports have it that she has retired from teaching martial arts and is now living her life to the fullest. Though she has been speculated to be in a relationship with a few women, she has not reacted to any of the claims.
Was Betty White Close To Her Step Children?
Prior to her demise, Betty White was seen to share a close bond with all her step-children. Initially, it wasn’t all cozy for them, as Martha Ludden greatly opposed her father’s marriage to the actress. She never wanted anyone to replace her mother, so she had issues with her father when he made them know of his intention to marry Betty White.
Despite her hostility towards the actress after she got hitched to her father, she still gave her the love she could give. After sometimes, she came to terms with the actress and maintained a close relationship with her till her till the demiss of her father and the actress. After her father passed away, there was no misunderstanding in the sharing of her father’s properties. Her other siblings, however, have been on good terms with the actress and there were no feud recorded between them before her death.
Why Didn’t Betty White Have Kids?
In 2012, Betty White revealed in an interview with CBS why she chose not to have kids with her late husband and ex-husbands. She stated that she was so impulsive about stuff, and if she ever got pregnant, that would have been her whole focus. The late actress also stated that she didn’t choose to have children because she was focused on her career.
She further stated that she couldn’t manage both her career and childbearing because of her impulsive nature. In addition, Betty White made it known that she didn’t regret not having kids as she spent almost seven decades as a stepmother to her loving stepchildren.
