Over the years, there has been a great deal of speculation about the off-screen relationships of the actors on The Golden Girls — specifically between Bea Arthur and Betty White. The show, which starred Arthur as Dorothy Zbornak,

Thank you Betty White and Bea Arthur for being a friend on “The Golden Girls,” even though those behind the show now say it was all an act.

For decades, viewers of The Golden Girls have toasted the easy bond of the four stars, yet behind the jokes, two of them quietly fought a chilly battle.