The stormy and short love affair between Whoppi Goldberg and Ted Danson in the ‘90s during the production of “Made in America” cost him his marriage, his reputation, and $30 million to his pocket.
The “Cheers” and “The Good Place” star Ted Danson has been “madly in love” with his wife Mary Steenburgen for the last 25 years. But Ted’s life before Steenburgen was different.
On the left Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg in a scene from the film ‘Made In America’, 1993, in Hollywood. On the right, Danson with his second wife Casey and their children in Los Angeles in 1991.
Before Steenburgen, Ted Danson had lost everything — he had broken up with his family, he was no longer the star on one of the most popular TV shows at the time and broke.
During the set of “Made in America,” Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson met and their on-screen romance became public and shocking secret love affair. It turns out, not so secret.
At that time, Danson was married to his second wife Cassandra “Casey” Coates for 16 years to whom he had two children together.
Ted Danson and Casey Coates during 40th Annual Golden Globe Awards at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, CA, United States, in 1983.
Coates and Danson tied the knot in 1977 after his first marriage with the star Randy Gosh crashed. But in 1979, during the labor of their daughter Kate, Coates suffered a stroke that left her entire left side paralyzed.
The “Good Place” actor said, even ten years later to the incident that they were committed to their marriage vows:
“We are committed to each other totally. The idea of my having more relationships boggles my mind.”
Ted Danson & Casey Coates during Pro-Choice Rally 1989 in Los Angeles, California, United States.
It turns out that Danson changed his mind. His whirlwind romance with Goldberg turned into the most commented celeb affairs of Hollywood history.
Things got dirty and Coates filed for divorce after she decided to make a surprise to her former husband on the set of “Made in America” and reportedly saw Danson and Goldberg taking a romantic walk in the woods.
Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson at Friars Club Roasts, circa 1993 in New York City.
Their divorce is considered one of the most expensive divorces in Hollywood history. Danson couldn’t forecast that his cheating would cost him so much, shared an insider:
“He knew how bad it looked that his affair was so public and he didn’t stand a chance at fighting Casey on it. But he didn’t expect to take such a huge financial hit.”
Goldberg and Danson’s whirlwind romance didn’t last long. After 18 months they split up after his appearance at the Friars Club roast in New York for Goldberg wearing a blackface.
Whoopi Goldberg not amused by Ted Danson’s face right up next to her in a scene from the film ‘Made In America’, 1993.
The actor used the N-word several times and according to People, his “racial-slur-laden monologue” hurt the couple’s intimate life. After that, things got bitter between them and they broke up few weeks after the roast. After the split, Goldberg was devastated:
“It was real painful, and it was very public, and the loss of his friendship hurts a great deal.”
However, despite rumors, the comedian shared with Jet magazine that they broke up before the roast. She admittedly said that Danson’s rejection from “someone she thought she’d spent a great deal of her life” with was pretty painful.
Cheer star Ted Danson poses for a portrait in October 1983 in Los Angeles, California.
Ted’s stormy adventure with Goldberg led him to meet his current wife Mary Steenburgen. She had been a fan of his work from afar. Steenburgen said she used to watch “Cheers” to lift her spirit during the time she was going through a divorce herself.
The “Cheers” actor said he was a “mess and a half” due to the hard times he was going through. But life surprised him and the “love of his life” came along.
Both Steenburgen and Danson were having a hard time and they were able to offer each other support. The couple wed in 1995 and has been together since then.
Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen attend the 12th Annual CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute at the American Museum of Natural History on December 09, 2018, in New York City.
Goldberg, in spite of the heartbreak, moved on as well. The comedian wed her third husband, Lyle Trachtenberg, one year after her breakup with Danson.
The last marriage finished a year later and since then, Goldberg decided to have a solo life as marriage doesn’t fit her lifestyle.