ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Hollywood icon Betty White died "peacefully in her sleep" at the age of 99, her agent and friend, Jeff Witjas, told Yahoo! Entertainment.
His statement debunks a claim circulating online that the actress and comedian died from complications related to the COVID-19 booster. Witjas said she was unaffected by a vaccine.
It was announced on Dec. 31 that White passed away.
"Betty died peacefully in her sleep at her home. People are saying her death was related to getting a booster shot three days earlier but that is not true," Witjas said to Yahoo! "She died of natural causes. Her death should not be politicized — that is not the life she lived."
The Associated Press reported the circulating quote on social media that White received a booster on Dec. 28 is not true: "Eat healthy and get all your vaccines. I just got boosted today." The quote reportedly links off to a Minnesota news outlet, whose story doesn't include the quote.
The story, instead, talks about the Dec. 28 feature in People, which also doesn't mention booster shots. Her interview with People was conducted weeks before her death.
"Betty never said this," said Witjas to the AP, referring to the fake quote. He did not comment on whether White actually received a booster.
White was just weeks shy of her 100th birthday on Jan. 17. Her two most famous roles were on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" in the 1970s and "The Golden Girls" between 1985 and 1992. She continued acting into her late 90s.