Todd Bridges said that when his mother, actress Betty A. Bridges, was dying this summer, her last words told him she could go.
“Before she died, she was a little awake and I kissed her on the forehead and told her: 'Listen, if you want to go see your mother, your grandmother and your brothers, you can go, mom . Go for it,'” the actor, who played Willis Jackson on “Diff'rent Strokes,” revealed to People magazine this week. “'Everything will be fine,' and about a few 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 her Phoenix home. She was 83 years old.
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“She was going through too much and I was happy that God was bringing her home,” Bridges told People. “My mother passed away, for me I didn’t want her to do that, but I also didn’t want to see her suffer.”
Betty A. Bridges played a crucial role in Todd's recovery from his 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 spokesperson said.
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Todd told People, “The reason I'm sober is because of her,” adding that she “stood behind” him “no matter what.”
Besides “Good Times,” Betty is best known for her roles on “ER” and “2 Broke Girls.” She also made appearances in “Quincy ME”, “Wonder Woman”, “Scrubs”, “NYPD Blue”, “What's Happening!!” and “Diff’rent Strokes.”
She also served as an acting manager and coach in Hollywood, working with students like Nia Long and Regina King.
Betty co-founded the Kane Bridge Academy, a theater school. She eventually moved the school to her home in Los Angeles and gave free lessons to children in her neighborhood.
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Although he was happy to take care of her, Todd told People that it was difficult to “watch her decline, knowing she wouldn't make it.”