Bette Midler reveals Bette Davis was ‘not pleased’ to learn she was named after her: ‘I was a little bit hurt’

Bette Midler recalled an uncomfortable moment from the past involving the late screen icon Bette Davis.

On the latest episode of Hoda Kotb‘s Making Space podcast, the Beaches star, 78, spoke about attending Elizabeth Taylor’s 60th birthday party back in 1986, where Davis was also in attendance.

‘My mother named me for Bette Davis, which Bette Davis was not pleased to hear,’ Midler dished to Kotb.

At the time, Midler had just given birth to her second child and she’d thrown her party look together without a glam squad – a move that ‘offended’ Davis.

‘I had just had my baby. And I was invited, and I was, like, so exhausted. And in those days, there was no hair and makeup,’ the Hocus Pocus star explained.

Bette Midler recalled an uncomfortable moment from the past that involved the late screen icon Bette Davis; seen in 2024 

On the latest episode of Hoda Kotb 's Making Space podcast, the Beaches star, 78, recalled attending Elizabeth Taylor 's 60th birthday party back in 1986, where Davis was in attendance; Davis seen in 1968

On the latest episode of Hoda Kotb ‘s Making Space podcast, the Beaches star, 78, recalled attending Elizabeth Taylor ‘s 60th birthday party back in 1986, where Davis was in attendance; Davis seen in 1968 

‘You didn’t know about hair and makeup. You just did your hair, and you put on a dress and went.’

Midler went on to say that Davis was ‘very offended’ that she had attended the event without being glammed up.

She also said the All About Eve star, who was 78 years old at the time, spent the entire party chatting with Bob Dylan, which made Midler nervous.

Midler and the All Along the Watchtower singer had collaborated on a duet of Buckets of Rain in 1976.

‘So, I can’t imagine what he said to her,’ she told Hoda.  

‘Anyway, so I was a little bit hurt,’ Midler said of the memory.

Midler also shared that her sisters Judy and Susan were also named after actresses Judy Garland and Susan Hayward.

‘And I was Bette Davis. Although, I pronounced it bet [and] she pronounced it Betty,’ she shared. 

'My mother named me for Bette Davis, which Bette Davis was not pleased to hear,' Midler dished to Kotb; seen in 2023

‘My mother named me for Bette Davis, which Bette Davis was not pleased to hear,’ Midler dished to Kotb; seen in 2023 

Midler went on to say that Davis was 'very offended' that she had attended the event without being glammed up; Davis seen in 1988

Midler went on to say that Davis was ‘very offended’ that she had attended the event without being glammed up; Davis seen in 1988 

'You didn't know about hair and makeup. You just did your hair, and you put on a dress and went,' Midler explained; seen in 2019

‘You didn’t know about hair and makeup. You just did your hair, and you put on a dress and went,’ Midler explained; seen in 2019 

The Divine Miss M, who has had an as successful and decorated career as her namesake, has gotten into the fray of meme making over J.D. Vance's comment about 'childless cat ladies '

The Divine Miss M, who has had an as successful and decorated career as her namesake, has gotten into the fray of meme making over J.D. Vance’s comment about ‘childless cat ladies ‘

The Divine Miss M, who has had an as successful and decorated career as her namesake, has gotten into the fray of meme making over J.D. Vance’s comment about ‘childless cat ladies.’

The First Wives Club star shared a shot of Taylor Swift on the cover of Time Magazine with her beloved cat Benjamin Button lounging over her shoulders to X (formerly Twitter).

‘Cat Ladies Stand Back and Stand By,’ she wrote across the photo. 

‘Giddyup and GO, #ChildlessCatLadies!’ she captioned the post.

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