Ted Danson's Blackface Apology
Ted Danson expresses lifelong regret and apology for his 1993 blackface performance.
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At age 78, Ted Danson says he will spend the rest of his life apologizing for a 1993 blackface performance that shocked the country. WACH reported that Danson made the statement on the podcast *Who's With Me? with W. Kamau Bell*, calling his decision to perform in blackface at Whoopi Goldberg's roast "so arrogant and stupid on my part."
The performance took place on October 8, 1993, at the New York Friars Club inside the New York Hilton. Danson, then the star of *Cheers* and Goldberg's boyfriend, served as toastmaster. He appeared in blackface with painted white lips, a top hat, and a tuxedo. During his monologue, he reportedly used the N-word more than 12 times, according to News Channel 9.
A Roast That Left Guests Hiding Their Faces
Around 3,000 guests packed the New York Hilton for Goldberg's 1993 roast. The crowd included more than 100 celebrities on the dais, among them Halle Berry, RuPaul, and Anita Baker. Film critic Roger Ebert later wrote that the act caused audience members to "hide their faces in their hands." Talk show host Montel Williams walked out after just seven minutes. He later resigned from the Friars Club and compared the event to a "rally for the KKK."
New York City Mayor David Dinkins — the city's first Black mayor — was in attendance. He said many of the jokes were "way, way over the line." Danson has now sided with that view. He told host W. Kamau Bell that he tried to back out of the roast as his relationship with Goldberg was falling apart, but felt unable to leave because of his professional commitment.
Goldberg Defended the Act as Satire — Danson Now Rejects That
On October 10, 1993 — two days after the roast — Goldberg held a news conference in Beverly Hills to defend Danson. She said she co-wrote the script and referred him to the makeup artist. Goldberg framed the performance as a "societal critique" of the hate mail they were receiving as an interracial couple. She wanted, she said, to "get these words all out in the open" to disarm critics.
In 2026, Danson rejected that framing entirely. He did not call it satire or a statement. He called it a failure. "So arrogant and stupid on my part," he said on the podcast. Host W. Kamau Bell praised Danson's approach, saying it was a rare example of a white entertainer taking full accountability without looking for a "quick fix" or trying to "move on."
The Costly Personal Fallout From 1993
The roast happened during one of the most turbulent periods of Danson's life. He had begun his relationship with Goldberg in 1992 while still married to his second wife, Casey Coates. By late 1993, both the marriage and the relationship with Goldberg were over. His divorce from Coates cost him $30 million — one of the most expensive Hollywood settlements at the time.
Danson discussed the strain of that period on the *Where Everybody Knows Your Name* podcast in September 2024. Now, at 78, he has returned to the topic on a new platform. His decision to revisit the incident on high-profile podcasts points to a late-career effort to define his legacy by accountability — not by the act itself.
Blackface Controversy Reignites a Debate About Roast Culture
The 1993 roast took place during the peak of the New York Friars Club's "no-holds-barred" roast tradition, which dated back 89 years. Club leadership at the time defended the format as "legendary." But Danson's use of blackface went beyond crude jokes. It invoked the specific history of 19th-century minstrelsy — a tradition built on dehumanizing Black Americans for white entertainment.
Danson's 2026 apology has restarted that debate. Can blackface ever be used ironically in a satirical context? His own answer is no. He has stopped defending the intent and started owning the harm. Bell, a Black comedian and activist, said Danson's commitment to a lifelong apology sets a model for how white public figures should handle past racial wrongs, according to WACH.
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