Todd Bridges said that when his mother, actress Betty A. Bridges, was about to die this summer, his last words to her were, “You can go.”
“Before she died, she woke up a little bit, so I kissed her on the forehead and said, “Look, if you want to go see your mom, grandma, and brothers, you can go, mom.'' Go,'' the actor who played Willis Jackson in Diff'rent Strokes told People magazine this week. “I said, 'We're fine,' and about two hours later she was gone.”
The Diff'rent Strokes alum, 59, was by his mother's side when she passed away at age 83 in late August while receiving hospice care at her home in Phoenix.
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Todd Bridges said that when his mother, actress Betty A. Bridges, was about to die this summer, his last words to her were, “You can go.” (Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
“I was glad God brought her home because she was going through so much pain,” Bridges told People. “My mother's death was something I never wished for her, but I also didn't want to see her suffer any more.”
Betty A. Bridges played an important role in Todd's recovery from addiction, her representative revealed after her death. “Her tough love and unwavering support highlight the profound influence family and friends have in helping a person overcome life's toughest battles,” the rep said.
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Betty A. Bridges and Todd Bridges co-star in “Diff'rent Strokes.” (Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
“She's the reason I'm sober,” Todd told People, adding that she stands behind him “no matter what.”
Betty is best known for her roles on “ER'' and “2 Broke Girls,'' along with “Good Times.'' She also appeared in “Quincy ME,” “Wonder Woman,” “Scrubs,” “NYPD Blue,” and “What’s Happening!!” And “Different Stroke”.
She was also a Hollywood manager and acting coach, mentoring students such as Nia Long and Regina King.
Betty A. Bridges was receiving hospice care at the home of her son, Todd, when she died in August at age 83. (Getty Images | East 2 West Collective)
Betty co-founded an acting school, Cane Bridge Academy. She eventually moved the school to her home in Los Angeles and began offering free lessons to neighborhood children.
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Todd was happy to take care of her, but told the people It was hard to “watch her decline, knowing she couldn't make it anymore.”
