‘I Did That’: Ted Danson Shocks with Bombshell Whoopi Goldberg Confession About Lingering 30-Year Blackface Stunt That Still Haunts Him Today
People have long understood that white folks wearing Blackface is racist and should not be done.
Comedian Druski drew criticism after photos surfaced showing him in whiteface, reigniting discussions about race-based costume choices and double standards in comedy.
But now, another unforgettable moment is making the rounds again — this time involving Whoopi Goldberg and a white actor in a scene that still gets people talking.
Blackface dates back to the 1830s minstrel era, when white performers darkened their skin with shoe polish, greasepaint, or burnt cork to mock Black people through degrading stereotypes. By 1993, it was already widely recognized as offensive.
That’s why many remain stunned that Whoopi Goldberg helped write jokes for her then-boyfriend, white actor Ted Danson, to deliver while wearing blackface.
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Goldberg began dating Danson while filming the 1993 movie “Made in America.” She previously defended him following backlash over his blackface performance at her Friars Club roast.
In a recent interview with “Who’s With Me? with W. Kamau Bell,” he described his ex as “the most outrageous, funny, Black woman in the world at that point.”
But he had no idea what he would do on stage, “And I’m not a standup. I can’t run with the bulls.”
Instead of playing it safe, Danson repeatedly used the N-word and joked about his relationship with Goldberg as actresses Halle Berry and Vanessa Williams sat in the audience expressionless.
Former talk show host Montel Williams was so incensed that he walked off the stage. New York Mayor David Dinkins later said the jokes were “Way, way over the line.”
The 78-year-old recalled the experience and admitted that he and Goldberg had been having an affair.
He said their relationship ultimately led to the end of his marriage to Cassandra Coates.
The “Cheers” actor claimed he tried to get out of the roast because they were breaking up.
He claimed the roast of Goldberg was supposed to be a private occasion where “we’re all going to go into the room and make say the worst things about each other or do the worst things.”
“The most vile, funny stuff came out of people’s mouths,” Danson shared, adding that he wanted to apologize for what came later.
“I know what was in my heart,” he expressed. “So, I have no problem talking about this, but I need to and want to apologize for the rest of my life because somebody today can go on the internet, you’re right, and go, ‘What the f—k? Wow. I feel betrayed. I feel angry and whatever.’ And I did that.”
The “Creepshow” actor added that the skit was “so arrogant and stupid on my part” as he apologized to Goldberg for having to defend him.
During a recent stop by W. Kamau Bell’s ‘Who’s With Me?’ podcast, Ted addressed his 1993 blackface scandal … when he made a total fool of himself for the Friars Club Roast of his then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg. Even in 1993 … the dumbfounding decision was blasted in the… pic.twitter.com/rMlxqJegzg
— TMZ (@TMZ) June 3, 2026
After the video was shared on X, one fan replied, “Ted Danson been carrying decade-old regret like a suitcase with no wheels. That scandal would’ve canceled him faster than Sam Malone could pour a beer.”
Another added, “If he really cared he wouldn’t try to give context. There is no context that can justify that.”
Goldberg defended Danson at the time and said that the situation “has caused great hurt to a man who doesn’t deserve it.”
“If they knew me,” said “The View” host. “They would know that Whoopi has never been about political correctness. I built my whole career destigmatizing words like ‘n—r.’”
Goldberg and Danson broke up a month after public scrutiny stemming from the roast.
Whoopi went on to marry Lyle Trachtenberg for one year, while Danson married actress Mary Steenburgen two years later.
Despite the knowledge that blackface is racist, several celebrities have found themselves in trouble doing it. Comedian Sarah Silverman faced backlash after a resurfaced clip of her in Blackface circulated online. The 2007 clip featured the comedian in blackface as she said, “I look like the beautiful Queen Latifah.”
Silverman later noted that she lost a movie role over the sketch and claimed that she would never do blackface today, and her former ex, comedian Jimmy Kimmel, also apologized for impersonating NBA star Karl Malone in the 1990s on Comedy Central.