Bea Arthur of The Golden Girls passed away yesterday at 86, according to the AP:
The star of the TV shows “Maude” and “The Golden Girls” died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said. She had cancer, he said, but declined to give details.
“She was a brilliant and witty woman,” said Watt, who was Arthur’s personal assistant for six years. “Bea will always have a special place in my heart.”
Arthur first appeared in the landmark comedy series “All in the Family” as Edith Bunker’s outspoken, liberal cousin, Maude Finley. She proved a perfect foil for blue-collar bigot Archie Bunker (Carroll O’Connor), and their blistering exchanges were so entertaining that producer Norman Lear fashioned Arthur’s own series.
n recent years, Arthur made guest appearances on shows including “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and “Malcolm in the Middle.” She was chairwoman of the Art Attack Foundation, a nonprofit performing arts scholarship organization, and was an honorary director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Arthur is survived by her sons and two granddaughters. No funeral services are planned.
Rest in Peace, Bea.
adrienne | April 26, 2009 at 11:53 am
whelp….see ya later
It's Me Fuckers | April 26, 2009 at 12:01 pm
RIP Bea, condolences to the friends and family…
clareargent | April 26, 2009 at 12:02 pm
she was wicked funny.
jenny | April 26, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I absolutely loved her. The Golden Girls is one of my favorite shows ever! Very sad news.
havenless | April 26, 2009 at 12:08 pm
She was wonderful and the Golden Girls is one of the funniest shows ever.
Obi Wan | April 26, 2009 at 12:10 pm
thanks for the maany laughs. RIP
Megabyte | April 26, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Golden Girls forever!
Dirk Diggler | April 26, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Goodnight Funny Lady.
Bella | April 26, 2009 at 12:17 pm
RIP Bea.
Kelly | April 26, 2009 at 12:30 pm
R.I.P. Bea!!I love you on The Golden Girls. We have lost a wonderful actress and all around woman. You’re the best Bea!! Now you and Estelle can be together.
Yank and wank they rhyme for a reason | April 26, 2009 at 12:31 pm
Ciao Bea thanks for the laffs, hope it was a peaceful death xxx
Glad to see Fish said “dies” instead of that ridiculous euphemism “passed away” hate that stupid term, death is death not “passing away”.
Lester | April 26, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Wow, Bea Arthur and GM’s Pontiac division in the same week?
alfalfa | April 26, 2009 at 12:57 pm
She looks better than Rihanna and Beyonce
dew | April 26, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Condolences to Bea’s family. She’ll be remembered.
smarg | April 26, 2009 at 1:09 pm
RIP. 86 and a full life should have no complaints.
I always wondered how anyone could get a hard-on to fuck her, though.
Eew.
the world according to ROUGH! | April 26, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Why are they keeping the type of cancer secret! id like to know if it was her doing or unfortunate…
carpetman | April 26, 2009 at 1:43 pm
I grew up watching the Golden Girls but started watching Maude a while back on dvd. That show is very funny. Highly recommended to those Xers and Yers (like me) who missed out on it.
auntmarie | April 26, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I loved her.. this is sad news.
Spurious | April 26, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Thank god.
nicefrenchgurl | April 26, 2009 at 2:51 pm
awwww my deepest condoleances to her family
indeed, the golden girls was such a wicked show
it’s awesome that so many younger fans regret her
but hey, she did have a good life, and was with her family in her final moments, im sure she’s gonna rock in heaven
RIP Bea, we will miss you
Rhialto | April 26, 2009 at 3:12 pm
I recognise her from The golden Girls.Condolences and may her loved ones find the strenght to overcome the loss.
Katydidit | April 26, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Thank you for being a friend. RIP B
amanda | April 26, 2009 at 4:18 pm
dorothy and sophia are together in shady pines
RIP Bea
do over | April 26, 2009 at 4:26 pm
#16 I’d like to know if you’re naturally a jerk or if you have to work at it.
Nomad | April 26, 2009 at 4:32 pm
I used to watch the Golden Girls on daytime television, about 15 years ago… Bea Arthur was one of the funnier members of that cast
Meh | April 26, 2009 at 4:42 pm
You were a real dame. Rest in peace.
'Frank' from 16th Floor | April 26, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Sad. This woman funny.
(Who is ‘Rip’ ?)
the world according to ROUGH! | April 26, 2009 at 5:55 pm
What are you talking about? what if shes been a smoker? dont you think revealing that info might help someone? why do you assume im being a jerk!
do over | April 26, 2009 at 6:36 pm
#28 You don’t have to do anything to get cancer. You make it sound like she did something to deserve it. Who knows if she was a smoker or not? But if there’s anyone out there who doesn’t know the risk he’s living so deep in a cave nothing will help him, so why shouldn’t they respect her privacy. She was a wicked funny lady so don’t be a ghoul about it and let her RIP.
mikeock | April 26, 2009 at 7:54 pm
Who gets all those fabulous calf-length sweaters?
lori | April 26, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Awesome, talented lady and well loved.
nopatienceformorons | April 26, 2009 at 8:29 pm
@the world according to ROUGH
You wondered if the cancer was “her doing or unfortunate.”
Is your stupidity your doing or unfortunate? All cancer is unfortunate, dumb fuck. Watch someone you love die from it, and then make some asshole comment like that.
the world according to ROUGH! | April 26, 2009 at 8:55 pm
29 and 32 youre too stupid to understand my comment! if you smoke, tan 24 seven in the sun without sunscreen, eat garbage that will clog up your insides…not getting early screening its your doing!
Stay Golden | April 26, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Goodnight, Bea. You were funny and brilliant and beautiful.
Jimbo | April 26, 2009 at 9:34 pm
1. Whether or not she smoked is irrelevant. “Nobody gets out of here alive.”
2. Robin Williams was right. (Bea was a turn-off)
3. The scandalous behavior was “Maude” having an abortion. When the childless wonder what happened to their Social Security, it may eventually dawn on them: they killed it.
Deadpool | April 26, 2009 at 10:08 pm
M… My love…
Fati | April 26, 2009 at 10:33 pm
I am so saddened by this.. Bea was a great actress. So naturally funny. Rest in peace, Dorothy..
another one bites the dust | April 26, 2009 at 11:55 pm
wow that sucks. its always such a shock when a well known and liked celeb dies. she was so awesome with her deep man voice and crazy tall-funnyness. she was cool. i think all #16 was trying to say was, was it because of her lifestyle that she got cancer or did she just get cancer out of nowhere. it’s not such a crazy thing to ask, just the way it was worded was a kinda rude. not a big deal though.
planned parenthood | April 27, 2009 at 12:24 am
#35 The US population has already increased a huge amount since “Maude” was on in the 1970s and even with wars, abortion, contraception and disease it keeps on growing. It’s estimated by 2050 it’ll be up another 136 mill, so #3 makes no sense at all. Not everyone wants kids and not everyone should have them.
gerard Vandenberg | April 27, 2009 at 1:08 am
…………………….THANKS & BYE BYE!!
Empty Nest Isuzu Commercial Dude | April 27, 2009 at 8:52 am
Two down, two to go. Muahahahahahahahahahaha!
Jaffo | April 27, 2009 at 9:46 am
Damn. There goes half of Jeffrey Ross’ act. If Abe Vigoda dies, Jeff is really fucked…
Michelle | April 28, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I loved her on the Golden Girls. RIP Bea.
april | September 8, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I loved Bea. The Golden Girls was one of my favorites as a child. I hope she and Estelle are making everybody in Heaven laugh as hard as we did. Someday all the “Golden Girls” will be together again. God willing Rue and Betty will have many more years though. It will be even sadder when they are all gone.
Loved Bea | February 22, 2010 at 4:11 pm
I don’t think anyone “deserves” cancer, but I wonder if it was just some regular person who caught cancer from smoking too much would you nay sayers think otherwise? For examples smoking has become very much a topic of contempt with smokers being called all names in the book and people saying “well if they catch cancer it’s their problem because they smoked”, however people tend to have more sympathy for someone they love/admire. Kind of a double standard I think the person who said “deserved” was off the mark, but I too would like to know what kind of cancer it was. There does not seem to be much on it, I read somewhere it was lung, but it was not confirmed. At one of her last tv appearances (right after Estelle Getty died) she was shown with Rue and Betty and Bea looked pretty skinny and fragile. Her death came as a total shock. She was always a private person, I didn’t know she was sick and I don’t think the type of cancer will ever be revealed.
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