EXCLUSIVE: 'Cheers' Star Ted Danson Reveals Why He Felt His Life Was 'A Lie'
Ted Danson reveals why he once felt his life was 'a lie' and reflects on what led to that feeling.
Aug. 13 2026, Published 6:30 a.m. ET
Ted Danson confessed he'd blown up his life so badly by the time Cheers ended that he "barely knew" himself.
Now 78, Danson starred as skirt-chasing bartender Sam Malone during the popular sitcom's 11-season run, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Danson’s Affair Upended His Life
Ted Danson said his personal struggles left him unaware that 'Cheers' had ended.
But personal problems – including a costly divorce and headline-making affair with Whoopi Goldberg – left him adrift when Cheers closed its doors in 1993.
"People say, 'What was it like? What did you do when she was over?'" he recalled. "I said, 'I had f---d up my life so much that I didn't even realize Cheers was over.'"
He added: "I wanted to stop being a liar. I wanted to be emotionally mature. I wanted to change."
At the time, Danson was reeling from his fling with Sister Act star Goldberg, which contributed to his divorce from his second wife, producer Casey Coates, in 1993. It reportedly cost Danson $30million.
Danson Apologizes For Blackface Stunt
Whoopi Goldberg was honored at the 1993 Friars Club roast where Danson wore blackface.
He'd also been publicly pilloried in October 1993 for wearing blackface at a Friars Club comedy roast in honor of Goldberg.
Looking back, he said now: "I need to and want to apologize for the rest of my life because somebody today can go on the internet" and see his blackface stunt.
After Cheers, Danson says he turned his life around thanks to a "postgrad grown-up class" with an "amazing" mentor and decided he "might as well jump completely off the cliff" when it came to acting.
Danson Found Success After Cheers
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Mary Steenburgen's husband went on to star in 'A Man on the Inside' after leaving 'Cheers'.
"And [there was] a little bit of... 'If I don't leave now, I may not know if I could do anything else, and I want to see if I can do any other stuff,'" he recalled.
He went on to star in Becker, Curb Your Enthusiasm, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Good Place and now the Netflix comedy A Man on the Inside, with his wife of 30 years, Mary Steenburgen.
As of 2024, he's appeared as a regular in 12 TV shows – reportedly the most of any actor.
Today, Danson said he's "fine" after a recent health scare, adding: "I think it was the best thing that could have happened to me, and I'm doing some things differently."
