Betty White, Bea Arthur and Rue McClanahan are highly distressed by their former Golden Girls co-star Estelle Getty's mental health battle.

The 81-year-old actress, who played SOPHIA on the classic sitcom, is suffering from dementia and her old pals find it very tough to see how much the condition has gripped her.

White, who recently reunited with Arthur and McClanahan for the release of their sitcom, says, "She should be in on all this .I went over there not too long ago and after I left, she told her care- giver that I was a nice lady... it's just heartbreaking."

Arthur, who played Getty's daughter DOROTHY on the show, admits there were signs of dementia back when they were still doing the show, explaining, "We should have known... right from the beginning because she had... terrible trouble retaining her lines."

22/11/2004 09:26