Beloved TV icon Betty White suffered a stroke 6 days before her death

Beloved TV actress Betty White suffered a stroke six days before her death on New Year's Eve, the Associated Press reported Monday.

The "Golden Girls" star, whose legal name was Betty Marion Ludden, died from a "cerebrovascular accident," according to her death certificate, obtained Monday and posted online by TMZ.

A cerebrovascular accident, also known as a stroke, affects blood vessels and blood flow to the brain and can result in tissue damage if not caught quickly.

The Emmy-winning television pioneer was 99 when she died at home in Brentwood on Dec. 31 — less than three weeks before her 100th birthday, which would have fallen on Jan. 17.

The star-studded documentary "Betty White: A Celebration" was originally planned as a celebration of the wisecracking star's centennial birthday. The film will open in theaters as planned, but the project — previously known as "Betty White: 100 Years Young — A Birthday Celebration" — has undergone a title change following her death.

For the record:
7:59 a.m. Jan. 11, 2022: A previous headline on this story incorrectly said “coroner blames stroke” and the article incorrectly stated that the Los Angeles County Coroner identified Betty White’s cause of death, as well as issued her death certificate. The department did not comment on her medical history, nor was it involved in determining her cause of death or issuing the document.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.