Ted Danson is apologizing for roasting Whoopi Goldberg in blackface amid their 1993 affair
Key takeaways
- Ted Danson is apologizing for roasting onetime paramour Whoopi Goldberg while wearing blackface.
- To make matters messier, Danson and Goldberg’s romance was cooling off and the two actually tried to get out of the Friars roast, but the club said the tickets had been sold and the show must go on.
- According to The Times’ archives, Goldberg said she wrote the racial-slur-laden monologue that Danson delivered wearing black minstrel makeup with exaggerated lips in white.
Ted Danson is apologizing for his notorious blackface roast of Whoopi Goldberg. (Emma Mc Intyre / Film Magic) By Emily St. Martin Staff Writer Follow June 3, 2026 9:12 PM PT 3 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X Linked In Threads Reddit Whats App Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here.
Ted Danson is apologizing for roasting onetime paramour Whoopi Goldberg while wearing blackface.
It was the fall of 1993 at the Friars Club in Manhattan, and the occasion was a roast of the “Sister Act” star, who at the time called Danson her “best friend.” Danson, fresh off the heels of an 11-season run on “Cheers,” and Goldberg, who was at the height of her film career, had been tangled up in a not-so-secret love affair that sprang up while filming “Made in America.” Danson was freshly split from his second wife, producer Cassandra Coates, who served him divorce papers after the tabloids outed his fling with Goldberg early that year.