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White: 'Rue was a close and dear friend'

Actress Bea Arthur, seen in a November 22, 2005 file photo with Betty White (L) and Rue McClanahan (R) in New York City, died from cancer in Los Angeles at the age of 86 on April 25, 2009. (UPI Photo/Monika Graff/File)

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Published: June 4, 2010 at 9:53 AM

LOS ANGELES, June 4 (UPI) -- U.S. actress Betty White said she is mourning the loss of Rue McClanahan, her dear friend and former co-star on TV's "The Golden Girls."

McClanahan died Thursday of a massive stroke. She was 76.

"Rue was a close and dear friend. I treasure our relationship," White said in a statement issued to People.com. "It hurts more than I ever thought it would, if that's even possible."

White is now the only surviving cast member of the 1980s senior-themed sitcom "The Golden Girls." Bea Arthur died last year at the age of 86 and Estelle Getty in 2008 at 84.

Topics: Actress Betty White

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