On Dec. 28, Betty White’s Twitter account celebrated the actor’s latest People magazine cover. “My 100th birthday…I can’t believe it’s coming up, and People Magazine is celebrating with me!” White tweeted. “The new issue … is available on newsstands nationwide tomorrow.”
Three days later, news broke that White, a Hollywood icon for 70 years, had died aged 99, just weeks before her 100th birthday on January 17.
It’s the kind of Dewey-defeated-Truman moment that print journalists can lose sleep over, compounded by the fact that People published two issues celebrating White’s centennial: its weekly newsstand issue and a special commemorative issue dedicated to exclusively to the actor.
“We are deeply saddened by the news of Betty White’s passing,” People editor Dan Wakeford said in a statement to Variety. “We are honored that she recently chose to work with People to celebrate her extraordinary life and career.”
In her interview with People, conducted in December, White joked that her longevity was due to her avoiding eating “anything green.”
“I think it works,” she said. “I’m so lucky to be so healthy and feel so good at this age.”
People also interviewed several of White’s colleagues for the cover story, including “The Proposal” co-stars Sandra Bullock, Ryan Reynolds and Mary Steenburgen, and TV icon Carol Burnett.
The week between Christmas and New Years has always been a prime window for print magazine sales, as travelers returning home from the holidays purchase reading material to occupy their attention. White’s death may paradoxically inspire more readers to purchase People’s White covers, which are now certain to become collector’s items.
People’s parent company, Meredith, was acquired in December by Dotdash, the digital publishing arm of IAC, Barry Diller’s holding company. The all-cash deal was valued at approximately $2.7 billion, or $42.18 per share.