Back in the 1980s and 1990s, TV actors competed for primetime roles...and movie stars did everything they could to stay in the film industry, since going to TV was considered a demotion. A move from the world of film to TV was like going backward. Stars who managed to break free of their television shackles were considered huge successes.
Celebs like Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg have both paved the way when it comes to building careers that feature successful television and film projects. Beyond their fame, which now spans over four decades, the two have something else in common...their romantic pasts.
Anyone who spent time at grocery store checkouts in the 1990s knew that Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg had a forbidden romance that rocked the tabloids. Both were riding high on fame, thanks to projects like Cheers, Three Men and a Baby, Sister Act, Star Trek, and Ghost.
These comedic actors had a natural chemistry that went beyond professional collaborations, even though they made a decided effort to keep things platonic. The thing is, Danson was married when they met.
Today, let’s look at 15 little known facts about Whoopi Goldberg And Ted Danson’s relationship.
15 Meeting On Arsenio
Whoopi first met Ted in 1988, when they both appeared on the popular late-night talk show, Arsenio Hall. They soon developed a fast friendship. They got to know each other better as they co-hosted an instructional video filled with environmental tips. It was called, Help Save Planet Earth.
Since philanthropy has always been important to both actors, it only makes sense that they connected while making a difference.
14 An Instant Professional Chemistry
When working on a movie, actors are often in remote locations, far from their families, so romance can bloom. It’s not surprising that Ted and Whoopi began their affair while working together, filming Made in America.
When news of their romance came out, Ted said, “I’d walk in Whoopi’s shadow for the rest of my life—I adore the woman.”
13 The Scandal That Led To Divorce
Because of their very public affair, Ted’s 16-year marriage to second wife, Cassandra Coates, was a shambles. Since Ted had a very successful TV career, thanks to Cheers (and a budding movie career), this divorce cost him a pretty penny.
It was one of the most expensive celebrity divorces of the time, costing the star 30 million dollars.
12 Tabloids Had A Field Day
It was the tabloids that spilled the beans about the budding romance between Ted and Whoopi. Even though all celebs face untrue rumors about their love lives, there was enough truth here for Ted’s wife to take notice!
The paparazzi captured Ted and Whoopi's entire relationship timeline, from the courtship and romance to the breakup.
11 Wedding Rumors
People enjoy hearing about the pending nuptials of celebrities, almost as much as they like hearing about celebrity divorces. Everyone was interested in Whoopi and Ted's alleged upcoming wedding. As soon as it was clear that Ted was leaving his wife for Whoopi, reports of an impending marriage were everywhere.
This was reported in the tabloids at the time: “They made plans to wed as soon as (Ted) could get a divorce, but under pressure from his parents, he dumped Whoopi.”
10 Parental Influence
While some relationships run their course faster than others, outsider influence was said to be the cause of the demise of Whoopi and Ted's romance. Some say that Ted’s parents saw his relationship with Whoopi as a symptom of a mid-life crisis...and Ted soon agreed with them.
Ted told reporters about his actions, “I went nuts last year, I hurt my children. I hurt my wife. But I was doing the best that I could at that time.”
9 The Controversial Roast
Ted and Goldberg embraced publicity about their relationship and didn’t shy away from pushing boundaries, even if it made people upset. Most notably, Danson appeared at a roast for Whoopi. He wore blackface and made a lot of inappropriate jokes. Whoopi defended Danson, saying that she even wrote some of his act herself.
Whoopi said, “Let's get these words all out in the open. It took a whole lot of courage to come out in blackface in front of 3,000 people. I don't care if you didn't like it. I did.”
8 How Long Things Really Lasted
Hollywood relationship years are like dog years. Although Whoopi and Ted were only together for a year and a half, it seemed like about a decade to the rest of us. This was probably because, every time we turned around, the popular actors were on the cover of a tabloid. Their relationship was picked apart constantly.
7 Whoopi's Romance Post-Relationship
After they broke up, both parties moved on quickly. Whoopi quickly met, dated and married her third husband, Lyle Trachtenberg, but the marriage didn’t last. The two were only together for a year before calling it quits.
Ted moved on to marry again, post-relationship with Whoopi. He married someone that he is still with today.
6 Ted's Life Post-Whoopi
Ted Danson’s first major relationship, post-Whoopi, was with fellow actor, Mary Steenburgen. Some papers, like The National Enquirer, reported that Whoopi hates Mary, with sources saying, “The reason is simple. She married Ted and Whoopi didn’t. Many have implied over the years that Ted is the ‘one who got away’ and that Whoopi still pines for him.
5 Whoopi's Regrets
Whoopi says that she wishes she had listened to her mother when it came to her marriages (Whoopi has been married three times). Before her ceremony for wedding number three, her mother told her that she knew Whoopi didn’t want to get married and offered up her car keys so Whoopi could leave.
Cheat Sheet reported Whoopi’s regrets. She said, “I got married anyway, which makes me kind of an a-hole. Because I knew the truth and I went around it.”
4 How They Feel About Each Other Now
When they called it quits, the Hollywood couple put out a press release about their breakup, although a few people thought the two were still secretly seeing each other. Some say the reason that Steenburgen hasn’t been asked to be on The View since 2005 is that Whoopi is on the panel and doesn’t want her there.
The Huffington Post reported that, when asked about whether or not she still talked to Ted , Whoopi said no. She joked, “That's, like, 20 years ago! I've boned so many people since then."
3 A Civil Union?
Once Ted ended his marriage to Cassandra, he was able to openly woo Whoopi. The two went the "if you can’t beat them, join them" route, making their romance official to their fans.
They genuinely enjoyed spending time with each other and it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t a publicity stunt. They had a solid connection.
2 Whoopi's Romantic Future
Whoopi has been in notable relationships with Tim Dalton and Frank Langella but has seemed to step away from traditional romance in recent years.
Whoopi said, “I tried marriage, and it wasn’t for me. You can’t be in a marriage because everyone’s expecting you to.”
Today, Goldberg enjoys the single life. She lives in a Manhattan loft with her cat, Oliver. She says she enjoys living her life on her own terms and doesn’t want to answer to anyone else.
1 Ted Looking Forward
People were touched when Ted’s wife, Mary Steenburgen, made an appearance on the final episode of The Good Place. Ted is far from retired from the world of entertainment. He continues to work on Curb Your Enthusiasm, alongside his wife.
IMDb reports Ted has a TV series in pre-production. It's an untitled project and a collaboration with Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.
Sources: Closer Weekly, Factinate, Fabiosa, Her Moments, E Online, Bossip