Shocking Things You Never Knew About The Golden Girls

Estelle Getty Was A Gay Rights Activist

After her role on the show, Getty had a homosexual nephew die of AIDS. Through his final years, Getty helped him a lot financially and offered moral support as he went through the unfortunate illness. She also lost some friends to the disease and was known for being a staunch gay rights activist and a major fundraiser for AIDS research.

Tragic losses led her to help

Estelle Getty suffered the loss of many people she loved, as we’ll learn about next.

In 1991, Getty’s nephew Steven was terminally ill in the final stages of AIDS. He was only 29 years old and his parents were unable to help as they lived in England. Steven’s friends could not continue the level of care he needed, so Getty stepped in. She flew Steven from his home in North Carolina to be near her in California. He was admitted to hospice care and passed away shortly after. In an interview that is archived on Out magazine’s website, Getty once said “I’ve been in show business all my life, and the majority of my friends are gay. I don’t deny that. A lot of my friends have died from AIDS.”

Supporter of gay rights to the end