Bob Barker Once Called Betty White His “Sworn Enemy”

Lauren Novak August 29, 2023

Bob Barker Betty White feud — Getty Images

It is hard to believe that two beloved icons, who both passed away at the age of 99, actually didn’t get along. That’s right, the late Bob Barker and Betty White had a feud before their deaths. Both Barker and White were big animal rights activists and shared a love of all creatures big and small. However, there was one scenario that they didn’t agree about that caused a huge fight where Barker actually called White his “sworn enemy.”

The incident in question happened in 2009 when they fought over the fate of Billy, an elephant located at the Los Angeles Zoo. At the time, Billy was potentially going to be transported to a sanctuary. Barker was in favor of the move, while White supported the zoo and believed it was the best place for Billy. In 2007, a lawsuit was filed against the zoo asking for Billy to be moved to a sanctuary after visitors believed that his mental health was not being fully supported at the zoo.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 28: Billy, the only elephant currently at the Los Angeles Zoo, is seen in his temporary exhibit after the Los Angeles City Council voted today to keep Billy at the zoo and continue construction of the $42 million Pachyderm Forest elephant exhibit on January 28, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. A parade of celebrities who oppose elephants in zoos fought to shut down the project and send Billy to a sanctuary facility, including Bob Barker, Cher, Lily Tomlin and Kevin Nealon. After the Pachyderm Forest was approved by the City Council in 2006, actor Robert Culp and real estate agent Aaron Leider sued the city to stop the project alleging that zoo officials abuse elephants but the lawsuit was thrown out by the Los Angeles Superior Court. When completed, the 3 1/2-acre Pachyderm Forest will house up to five Asian elephants and three of their offspring in an enclosure with a waterfall and two pools

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The zoo responded that they were working on a bigger enclosure for him and that his behavior was normal. It became a huge disagreement between many experts, celebrities, and people in general. White was in support of the zoo saying in an article, “It will not stop with elephants. Giraffes will be next. If they win this battle, they will not stop until zoos themselves are extinct.” Barker was not as friendly with zoos and had long worked to move animals from zoos to sanctuaries with more space and care.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 6: Television host Bob Barker during his last taping of "The Price is Right" show held at the CBS television city studios on June 6, 2007 in Los Angeles, California

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The whole argument got so heated that Barker threatened to boycott the Game Show Awards, where he was going to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award if White was attending. She decided to step back and not attend. Ultimately, they made up in 2015 when they both spoke out against Walter Palmer, the dentist who killed Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe. As for their previous feud, Billy the elephant remains in the zoo to this day.