EXCLUSIVE: Curse of 'Cheers' — We Reveal the Booze, Battles, Affairs, Deaths and Career Slumps That Have Loomed Over Show's Stars After George Wendt's Death Aged 76
The iconic Cheers gang has been rocked by years of off-screen chaos, scandals, and heartbreak.
May 21 2025, Published 4:29 p.m. ET
The beloved Cheers cast has been tormented for years by ruthless backstage battles.
The sitcom's darkest secrets are coming back into the spotlight — and after George Wendt’s shocking death, RadarOnline.com can unveil the tangled mess of booze-fueled brawls, steamy affairs, heartbreaking losses, and career crashes that have haunted the stars.
George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson on 'Cheers,' passed away on Tuesday at the age of 76.
Before the star's heartbreaking death, fans had already weathered a storm of turmoil surrounding the cast.
They mourned late actress Kirstie Alley’s heartbreaking miscarriage in 1990 and sympathized with Kelsey Grammer during his drunk-driving and cocaine busts that landed him behind bars.
They were shocked when Ted Danson got involved with Whoopi Goldberg and grieved the loss of beloved Coach Ernie Pantusso, played by Nicholas Colasanto, during Season 3.
But above all, fans still laughed as the cast delivered timeless comedy gold – and were sad to see the show go.
The TV died peacefully in his sleep after reported 'worry' from friends over his weight.
On Wednesday, it was reported Wendt – who played popular barfly Norm Peterson – had passed away at the age of 76.
He died peacefully in his sleep, leaving behind a grieving family who described him as a devoted family man and cherished friend.
Though the official cause of death remains unclear, Wendt had long battled with his weight, with friends reportedly pleading with him to cut back as he seemed to be "eating himself to death."
Wendt starred as Norm in all 275 episodes of Cheers, which aired from 1982-93 on NBC.
Danson Got Himself Some 'Whoopi'
Ted Danson set off a Hollywood scandal when his steamy romance with Whoopi Goldberg ignited behind the scenes.
Danson, known for playing family man Sam Malone on the sitcom, was a married father of two when his romance with comedienne Goldberg shocked millions who believed he and then-wife Casey Coates were the ideal couple.
Sources claimed their romance heated up while filming the 1993 movie Made in America. At the time, Danson was still married to Coates, and the affair caused a major scandal when the press uncovered it.
Fans were stunned, particularly as they had recently praised Danson for his unwavering support of Coates during her life-threatening stroke while delivering their daughter Kate.
When Coates uncovered the affair, she quickly filed for divorce – costing Danson a fortune.
She not only gained custody of their two children but also walked away with $30 million, making it one of the priciest celebrity splits of its time.
Danson and Goldberg dated for roughly 18 months, and their relationship ended because of personal differences and the pressures of public scrutiny.
Kirstie Alley's Struggles Before Tragic Death in 2022
Kirstie Alley, who died in 2022, had a life plagued by miscarriage and cocaine struggles.
Alley, who played Rebecca Howe, had a journey to stardom that was marked by some incredibly dark challenges.
While working as an interior decorator, she struggled with a serious cocaine addiction.
She previously admitted: "I was good, but I snorted up all my profits. When I came out of my drug stupor in 1979, I decided I wanted to act."
After years of heartbreak and a miscarriage in September 1990, she and Parker Stevenson adopted a baby boy in October 1992.
The actress once said: "I thought the hardest part about being 35 and having a baby would be getting pregnant, but that was the easy bit. It never even dawned on me that I would lose my baby."
But holding her son William True for the first time, she said "was the most wonderful moment of my life. Never have I known such happiness."
Alley was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer in May 2022 following complaints of a sore back.
Sadly, the actress passed away on December 5, 2022, at the age 71. Her children, True and Lillie Parker, confirmed her death at the time.
Grammer's Time Behind Bars
Kelsey Grammer had spent time in jail after getting caught with cocaine.
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Grammer, best known for playing Dr. Frasier Crane on Cheers, hit serious legal and personal rough patches in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
In April 1988, he was arrested in North Hollywood for driving with expired license plates, and during the stop, cops found cocaine that had fallen from his pocket – leading to a possession charge.
He ended up serving 30 days in jail and 10 days of community service.
Two years later, in 1990, Grammer was busted again in Malibu for DUI and cocaine possession after a car crash. This time, he got three years' probation, 300 hours of community service, and was ordered into rehab.
Grammer has been open about how personal tragedies, including the 1975 murder of his sister Karen, fueled his substance abuse struggles.
He revealed he turned to alcohol and cocaine to numb the deep pain and trauma from that time.
Colasanto's Death After Alcoholism Battle
'Cheer's aired on NBC from 1982-1993 and aired 273 episodes in total.
Nicholas Colasanto, cherished for his role as Coach Ernie Pantusso, died of a heart attack at his Studio City, California, home on February 12, 1985 at the age of 61.
Colasanto had been fighting heart disease since the mid-1970s, a condition worsened by his previous battle with alcoholism.
Although he got sober in 1976, his health steadily declined.
During Cheers Season 3, cast members noticed his dramatic weight loss, but Colasanto kept the seriousness of his illness under wraps.
After being hospitalized for fluid buildup in his lungs just after Christmas 1984, doctors told him not to return to work.
After Colasanto’s death, his character, Coach, was written off the show as having passed away, and Woody Boyd, played by Woody Harrelson, was brought in as his replacement.
As a heartfelt tribute, the producers hung a photo of Geronimo – a good luck charm Colasanto kept in his dressing room – on the Cheers bar set.
The touching nod was quietly acknowledged in the series finale, when Malone (Danson) straightens the picture before turning off the lights for the final time.
