Allen Ludden Cause Of Death: What Happened To Betty White’s Husband?

Allen Ellsworth Ludden was an American television personality, actor, emcee and game show host.

Allen Ludden hosted various incarnations of the game show Password between 1961 and 1980.

Allen Ludden was born on October 5, 1917, in  Mineral Point, Wisconsin.

Allen Ludden proposed to twice-divorced Betty White, whom he had met on Password, at least twice before she accepted. They were married on June 14, 1963.

Allen Ludden and Betty White’s romance blossomed when they played summer stock theatre together, in the play Critic’s Choice in 1962. Allen Ludden and Betty White also appeared together in the romantic comedy Janus in 1963. Allen Ludden and Betty White appeared together in an episode of The Odd Couple in which Felix and Oscar appeared on Password and also as a couple on a season 4 episode of The Love Boat.

After Allen Ludden was diagnosed with stomach cancer in early 1980, he took a month-long leave of absence from Password Plus for chemotherapy treatment, with Bill Cullen filling in as host.

On October 7, 1980, Allen Ludden slipped into a coma while on vacation in Monterey, California. Initially, it was reported that he had suffered a stroke, but the coma was actually caused by high levels of calcium from medication taken to help fight the cancer.

Allen Ludden hoped to return to the show but his cancer grew worse and he never returned.

Allen Ludden died in Los Angeles on June 9, 1981, at age 63.