Ted Danson Apologizes for Blackface Roast of Whoopi Goldberg in 1993
The New York Times • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Ted Danson apologized for appearing in blackface and using a racial slur during a 1993 Friars Club roast of Whoopi Goldberg, acknowledging his actions as "arrogant and stupid."
- At the time, Danson was romantically involved with Goldberg, and their extramarital affair was ending, which complicated their participation in the roast.
- The roast monologue, which included jokes about Goldberg's anatomy and their sex life, was widely condemned, with Montel Williams walking off and New York Mayor David Dinkins calling the jokes "way, way over the line."
- Danson admitted on a podcast that he had spent months preparing the monologue and chose to wear blackface as a misguided attempt to gain comedic license, despite recognizing it was inappropriate.
- The incident has haunted Danson for decades, and he expressed a desire to apologize for the rest of his life during his conversation with comedian W. Kamau Bell.