Ted Danson Still Haunted by Blackface Scandal: 'Cheers' Actor Vows to Apologize 'For the Rest of My Life' For Performance at Whoopi Goldberg Roast
Ted Danson says he remains 'forever apologetic' for his controversial 1993 blackface performance.
June 3 2026, Published 4:00 p.m. ET
Ted Danson is reflecting on one of the most controversial moments of his career more than three decades later, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The actor admitted he remains "forever apologetic" for his infamous blackface performance during a 1993 Friars Club roast honoring then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg.
Ted Danson Says He'll Never Stop Apologizing
The actor revisited the scandal during a candid appearance on W. Kamau Bell's podcast.
During an appearance on comedian W. Kamau Bell's Who's With Me? podcast, Danson made it clear he has no intention of avoiding the subject.
"I would like to address this and apologize forever," the actor said. "I know what was in my heart. 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---? Wow. I feel betrayed. I feel angry and whatever.' And I did that."
Danson also apologized to Goldberg for having to repeatedly discuss the controversy over the years.
"The last thing she probably wants to do is have be put in this position again," he said.
Danson performed the routine at a Friars Club roast honoring then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg.
'I Thought I Could Pull This Off'
The Oscar-winning actress publicly defended Danson following the backlash.
The controversy dates back to Goldberg's 1993 Friars Club roast, where Danson appeared in blackface while delivering a routine he believed would address the criticism surrounding their interracial relationship.
Explaining his mindset at the time, Danson said: "So my brain was going, 'Okay, here is one of the most outrageous, funny, Black women in the world at that point. I'm supposed to be roasting her. And I'm not a standup. I can't run with the bulls.'"
After watching footage of other comedians, he recalled thinking: "Well, if I were Black, I could say all these outrageous things."
That led him to make a decision he now deeply regrets.
"I thought I could pull this off," Danson admitted. "That idea was so arrogant and stupid on my part."
Danson said he believed he could address criticism of their interracial relationship through comedy.
The Cheers star said he wanted to use comedy to address the hateful reactions he and Goldberg received while dating, including racist criticism and hate mail.
"It couldn't be because they liked each other or saw something in each other. ... It had to be just pure s--, that's the only reason for a relationship like this," he said of the media coverage at the time.
But Danson acknowledged that his frustration bled into the act itself.
"It had a real f---ing edge to it," he admitted.
As the performance unfolded, he realized much of the audience was reacting negatively.
"20 percent of the crowd gets this and thinks it's pretty cool and gets it. 30 percent of the crowd gets it, and f---ing hates it. 50 percent of the crowd didn't get it and f---ing hated it and hated me," he recalled. "And I kept going."
When Bell suggested Danson likely assumed the routine would stay within the Friars Club, the TV star replied: "It left the room before I was over."
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'Your Intentions Do Not Matter'
Danson admitted he was 'scared' when clips of the performance resurfaced years later.
Years later, clips from the performance resurfaced during the Black Lives Matter movement, forcing Danson to confront the incident again.
"I was scared," he admitted.
The actor said anti-racism author Heather McGhee helped him understand the importance of focusing on impact rather than intent.
"She wasn't giving me a pass. She was saying this is an opportunity that I hope you take," he said.
Reflecting on what he has learned, Danson explained: "I am forever apologetic."
He added: "The other thing I used to say for the longest time, 'I knew what my intention was. My intention was love.' It doesn't matter. Your intentions do not matter. The impact you have on people is what matters. And if you haven't thought through that, then you need to."
Danson continued: "I thought I could run with the big boys and I couldn't, and it was stupid, and it was not my place, and it was wrong, and it was hurtful."
"So, I apologize again to anyone who's listening that I was arrogant enough to think that I had something to offer."
