Ted Danson Apologizes To Whoopi Goldberg For Infamous Blackface Controversy

Ted Danson is looking back on one of the most controversial moments of his career with regret. More than 30 years after his appearance at Whoopi Goldberg’s 1993 Friars Club roast, the actor said he remains deeply apologetic for wearing blackface during the event.

According to Deadline, Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg became part of a painful public conversation after Danson tried to make a satirical joke about their interracial relationship. The actor now says he understands why people still feel hurt, betrayed, and angry when they learn about the moment today.

Ted Danson Reflected On The 1993 Roast

Danson said he thought he was being edgy at the time but now sees the decision as arrogant and wrong. He explained that he was not a stand-up comedian and felt pressure to deliver something bold for the roast. Looking back, he admitted that his thinking was deeply flawed.

The Cheers star also said Goldberg has had to defend him over the years, which he described with gratitude and regret. He made it clear that he does not want to place that burden on her again. Instead, he said he wants to keep apologizing because the moment still exists online and can still hurt people who come across it now.

Whoopi Goldberg Defended Him At The Time

At the time, Goldberg defended Danson and later said she wrote much of the material herself. She explained that the jokes came from the racism they faced publicly during their relationship and that they were trying to make each other laugh rather than meet anyone’s idea of political correctness. Still, Danson now speaks about the incident differently. He said he believed he could use performance to say something about race but later recognized how entitled that belief was. He admitted that thinking he could handle the subject in that way was foolish, especially as a white actor trying to make a point through blackface.