Golden Girls Feud Resurfaces at Pride Live! Hollywood: Behind the Scenes of TV’s Most Enduring (and Queer-Loved) Sitcom

The enduring popularity of The Golden Girls was front and center at this year’s Pride Live! Hollywood festival, where the 40th anniversary of the trailblazing sitcom was marked by live episode readings and a panel discussion featuring former writer-producers, casting directors, and script supervisors. While the event celebrated the sitcom’s enduring appeal—especially among LGBTQ+ audiences—it also became the stage for a renewed discussion of the legendary, and often fraught, relationship between its stars, Bea Arthur and Betty White. According to former colleagues, the two actors shared little warmth off-camera, despite portraying one of television’s most iconic friendships on screen.

During the festival’s panel, co-producer Marsha Posner Williams did not shy away from addressing the well-documented friction between Arthur (Dorothy Zbornak) and White (Rose Nylund). “When that red light was on [and the show was filming], there were no more professional people than those women,” Williams told the crowd, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. “But when the red light was off, those two couldn't warm up to each other if they were cremated together.” She recounted that Bea Arthur, who passed away in 2009, often expressed her disdain for White—even using expletives in private conversation. Williams recalled Arthur’s directness, noting that within moments of arriving at Arthur’s home for dinner, “the C-word came out” in reference to White. Fellow writer Stan Zimmerman previously echoed this, describing how Arthur thought White was “two-faced,” a sharp contrast to the innocent persona White embodied on the show.

Despite the off-screen tensions, The Golden Girls has maintained—and even grown—its status as a cultural touchstone for the LGBTQ+ community. The show’s depiction of friendship, solidarity, and chosen family has resonated deeply with queer audiences for decades. As explored in multiple essays and retrospectives, the women of The Golden Girls provided a model for acceptance and unconditional support, embodying the very notion of a “chosen family”—a concept that holds special meaning for many LGBTQ+ people who have faced rejection from their families of origin.

This dynamic was powerfully visible at the festival, where fans—many in costume as Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia—gathered not only to celebrate the show but also to affirm its role in their lives. The Golden Girls’ humor, heart, and representation of complex, supportive adult friendships continue to inspire LGBTQ+ viewers, reminding them that even in the face of real-life disagreements, the ideals of community and acceptance endure.

While the revelations of Arthur and White’s feud may appear to undermine the on-screen harmony, for many LGBTQ+ fans, it is a reminder of the complexities of human relationships. The show’s message—that family is made, not just inherited—remains undiminished. As the Golden Girls is celebrated anew, its legacy as a beacon for queer audiences is secure. The drama behind the scenes, now brought to light once more, underscores the significance of representation, chosen solidarity, and the persistent hope that even imperfect relationships can yield something beautiful and lasting for generations to come.