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For most people hearing the names Bob Barker And Betty White together would be a reminder of the things the two stars had in common: being beloved entertainment icons and animal lovers who lived to be 99. (White passed away in December 2021, while Barker passed away on August 26, 2023.) But, while they both bring back warm memories to their fans, the relationship between Barker and White was not friendly. In fact, it was their love of animals that divided them and reportedly led Barker to call White his "nemesis."

The dispute between the game show host and the comedic actor involved an elephant named Billy at the Los Angeles Zoo, who has now survived them both. Read on to find out how a large mammal led to a long Hollywood feud.

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In the late 2000s, a debate arose over whether Billy the elephant should stay at the Los Angeles Zoo, which was planning a $42 million renovation of its elephant enclosure, or if he should be moved to a sanctuary. As reported Los Angeles Magazine , in 2007, a group of citizens filed a complaint asking the city to send Billy to a sanctuary, because they were concerned about his mental well-being after he was seen rocking back and forth in his enclosure. The zoo said Billy was in good health.

Eventually, celebrities got involved in Billy's cause, including Barker, Dear , Halle Berry , And Lily Tomlin , who all pleaded for the elephant to be moved to the sanctuary. White, who was a longtime supporter of the Los Angeles Zoo, was on the other side of the question: just like the Guns N' Roses musician slash , according to Today.

Barker and White made their feelings clear about what they thought was best for Billy. As reported by Los Angeles Times , in 2009, Barker offered to pay the $1.5 million it would take to transfer Billy to the sanctuary, Performing Animal Welfare Society, located in San Andreas, California. According to The Wrap, Barker spent millions of dollars during his lifetime to help animals be transported to the sanctuary. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

Meanwhile, White was writing in the zoo's magazine (via Los Angeles Magazine ), "It won't stop with the elephants. The giraffes will be next. If they win this battle, they won't stop until the zoos themselves are gone." The Wrap explains that White's point was that animals in zoos raise awareness of issues facing their wild counterparts, including extinction.

In the end, the zoo took hold and Billy remains there to this day. Discussions about whether or not it should be moved raged.

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The Wrap reports that while Billy's move was still making headlines, Barker threatened to skip the 2009 Game Show Awards, at which he was to receive a lifetime achievement award, if White attended. White ended up pre-recording the comments he was asked to make during the show, and Barker was there in person.

THE National Investigator r reported in 2013 that White hoped reconcile with Barker , even though he would have called her a "sworn enemy".

"She thinks just because they don't agree on everything doesn't mean they can't be polite to each other," a source said. The source also told the outlet that White sent Barker a birthday present with a note. "She wrote, 'We don't have to agree on everything, but we can listen to each other's opinions. Maybe a few old dogs could teach each other some new tricks.'"

But, the source continues, "Bob is unwavering in his position that elephants have no place in zoos. As long as Betty remains an advocate for zoos, he feels they have no say."

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Barker and White couldn't find common ground when it came to Billy, but they were both equally outraged when it came to the murder of Cecile Lion. Cecil was killed in Zimbabwe by an American dentist named Walter Palmer . It was a protected lion that was studied by the University of Oxford. As reported The Washington Post , Palmer claimed he believed his hunting trip was following protocol and that he didn't know Cecil was protected.

"How can they see this magnificent creature, this perfect specimen of everything the king of the jungle should be, and it amazes him," White said. entertainment tonight . "With no idea what that means, how much we're losing, and how many species will just not be there." When asked what she thinks should happen to Palmer, White replied, "You really wanna know? Anything loose, cut."

As for Barker, he said AND that he thought Palmer should be imprisoned in Zimbabwe. (Palmer ultimately wasn't charged with anything.) "Oh, that's sickening," said the The price is right said the host. "I understand that his patients line up to cancel their appointments and that is well deserved. If he was my dentist, I would never see him again. And why shoot him with a bow and arrow in the first place and then that didn't finish him off, he shoots her with a gun? That's something else that's disgusting."