Princewill Pius
In October 1993, Ted Danson performed at the Friars Club roast for Whoopi Goldberg. Roasts are known for their harsh humor, but Danson took it to another level when he showed up in blackface. According to People, Danson’s “racial-slur-laden monologue” touched on the couple’s sex life and Goldberg’s intimate characteristics. He ended the set by eating a tray of watermelon. As critic Roger Ebert wrote, “The event demonstrated that the painful history of black-white relations in America is still too sensitive to be joked about crudely.”
According to Slate, Goldberg took to the stage to chastise the audience’s reaction to Danson’s jokes. “It takes a lot of courage to come out in blackface in front of 3,000,” she said. “I don’t care if you don’t like it. I do!” But the fallout likely proved too much for the couple, as Danson and Goldberg announced their breakup less than one month after the roast — and it hit her hard.
“It was real painful, and it was very public,” Goldberg said, per Closer. “And the loss of his friendship hurts a great deal. We can never go and have a soda, anywhere, I’m friends with almost every man I’ve gone out with, except this man.”
However, both Danson and Goldberg quickly moved on after going their separate ways.
Written by: Nicki
