Cheers star Ted Danson was in one of the most shocking scandals in ’90s Hollywood when he allegedly had an affair with his co-star on the set of Made in America in 1992. At the time, the actor was married to his second wife, Casey Coates, but reports sprang up that Danson was having an affair with none other than Star Trek actor Whoopi Goldberg.
Tabloids were quick to spread the gossip in 1993, resulting in a high-profile divorce case with Coates. The divorce is infamous for being exorbitant as a settlement case and also wreaking havoc on Ted Danson’s life.
Inside One of Hollywood’s Most Expensive Divorces in History
Ted Danson’s 1993 divorce from his second wife, Casey Coates, became one of the most expensive and publicized celebrity breakups of the decade. The settlement reached 30 million dollars (via Nicki Swift).
Danson married television producer Casey Coates in 1977, before he achieved stardom on Cheers. Their relationship faced an immediate and devastating challenge when, in December 1979, Coates suffered a massive stroke while giving birth to their first daughter, Kate. The stroke left her paralyzed on her left side at just 31 years old.
Despite Danson taking care of her in the subsequent years, he found it very challenging. After sixteen years of marriage, the relationship unraveled when Danson began an affair with actress Whoopi Goldberg. The controversy, combined with the pressure of being at Cheers, chipped away at the actor, with Danson remarking (via KATU):
First off, the transition was easy because I blew my personal life up so badly in that moment of leaving that it didn’t even dawn on me that I had quit ‘Cheers’ for months because I was just dealing with myself and my personal stuff
This was during the peak of Ted Danson’s career with Cheers, achieving national fame and Emmy Awards. Danson’s relationship with Goldberg lasted less than 18 months before they broke up in 1993, following a blackface routine by Ted Danson.
Ted Danson Found Love Once Again Following Goldberg Split
Shortly after his divorce and breakup with Goldberg, Danson found redemption in 1993 when he reconnected with actress Mary Steenburgen on the set of Pontiac Moon. Neither actor wanted a relationship, but the chemistry was right there and undeniable. Ted Danson remarked (via Town and Country):
It wasn’t love at first sight. It was this gradual getting to know who a person was. We came back [from a canoe trip] in love, to be honest, or I’ll say smitten.
The couple married in 1995, on Martha’s Vineyard, and Mary Danson remarked that she still had her wedding dress. There were around 150 guests in attendance, including President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, where the President gave a speech at the rehearsal dinner. The two even starred together in A Man on the Inside.
What do you think of Whoopi Goldberg’s involvement in the scandal?
