Todd Bridges said that when his mother, actress Betty A. Bridges, was dying this summer, his last words to her were to tell her she could go.
“Before she passed away, she was awake a little bit, and I kissed her on the forehead, and I said, ‘Look, if you want to go see your mom and your grandmother and your brothers, you can go ahead, Mom. Go,’” the actor, who played Willis Jackson on “Diff’rent Strokes,” revealed to People magazine this week. “‘We’re going to be okay,’ and about a couple hours later, she was gone.”
The “Diff’rent Strokes’ alum, 59, was by his mother’s side when she died in late August while in hospice care at his home in Phoenix. She was 83 years old.
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Todd Bridges said that when his mother, actress Betty A. Bridges, was dying this summer, his last words to her were to tell her she could go. (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
“She was going through too much, and I was happy that God took her home,” Bridges told People. “My mom passing away, to me, I didn’t want her to, but I didn’t want to see her suffer anymore either.”
Betty A. Bridges played a crucial role in Todd’s recovery from addiction, her rep shared after her death. “Her tough love and unwavering support highlight the profound impact of family and friends in overcoming life’s toughest battles,” the rep said.
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Betty A. Bridges and Todd Bridges on “Diff’rent Strokes” together. (Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Todd told People, “the reason why I’m sober is because of her,” adding that she “stood behind” him “no matter what.”
Along with “Good Times,” Betty is best known for her roles on “ER” and “2 Broke Girls.” She also made appearances in “Quincy M. E.,” “Wonder Woman,” “Scrubs,” “NYPD Blue,” “What’s Happening!!” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”
She was also a Hollywood manager and acting coach, with students like Nia Long and Regina King.
Betty A. Bridges was in hospice care at the home of her son Todd when she died in August at 83 years old. (Getty Images | East 2 West Collective)
Betty co-founded the Kane Bridge Academy, an acting school. She eventually moved the school to her home in Los Angeles and would give free lessons to the kids in her neighborhood.
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While he was happy to care for her, Todd told People it was difficult “watching her decline, knowing she wouldn’t make it.”