Ted Danson is back on top with a hit show and a lasting marriage to Oscar-winning actress Mary Steenburgen — but the star of “The Good Place” first had to survive a very bad breakup over his affair with Whoopi Goldberg! At the time, the cheating “Cheers” star was caught up in a showbiz affair that would leave him caught up in charges of racism. The affair with Whoopi also wrecked his regular-guy image after falling for his co-star on the set of 1993’s “Made in America,” which was supposed to set Ted up for a big-screen career as “Cheers” finally came to an end. “Ted is lucky he’s in a great spot with Mary,” said an insider, “because he would never want to go through a divorce like that again!” That’s because Ted’s very public affair with Whoopi wrecked his long marriage to Casey Coates, and ended with a $30 million settlement that ranks as one of Hollywood’s most painful celebrity divorces…
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"Ted wanted to come out of it looking as good as possible," said a close source, "but the divorce was like a living nightmare for him. 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!"
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Ted had married Casey in 1977 after his first marriage to actress Randy Gosch ended after five years. Casey gave birth to their daughter Kate in 1979 — but following her labor, she suffered a stroke due to high blood pressure that paralyzed her entire left side. Still, family man Ted insisted in 1989: "We are committed to each other totally. The idea of my having more relationships boggles my mind."
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But just a few years later, Whoopi, then 37, turned his world topsy-turvy. In 1992, their on-screen "Made in America' romance turned into a secret affair. Casey was blindsided when she made a surprise visit to the set and reportedly found them taking a romantic walk in the woods. Ted would later described Whoopi as "a very sexy, very funny lady" while guesting on
Arsenio Hall's talk show.
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Ted was 45 years old when he left Casey, with whom he also shares adopted daughter Alexis. His bitter ex vowed to “take him to the cleaners,” sources said — and divorce paper showed that Casey refused to reconcile their disputes with "counseling." Ted, meanwhile, made plans to adopt a baby boy with Whoopi four months before his divorce became final, which insiders said further blindsided his estranged wife.
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But the hot affair crashed after Ted showed up at a comedy roast for Whoopi in blackface and blurted out the "n-word" more than a dozen times during his insulting bit. "Everyone expected he and Whoopi would get married — including Ted,” said the insider. "Instead, he was single, had broken up his family, and was no longer starring on one of the most popular TV shows ever."
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Today, Ted and Casey aren't "exactly on good terms" — and insiders report that
Whoopi still carries a grudge against Mary Steenburgen, who romanced Ted on the set of the low-budget "Pontiac Moon" in 1994. It doesn't help, say pals, that Ted dismissed his romance with Whoopi as a midlife crisis, saying: "I went nuts! I hurt my children. I hurt my wife — but I was doing the best I could at that time."
"Ted wanted to come out of it looking as good as possible," said a close source, "but the divorce was like a living nightmare for him. 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!"
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ted had married Casey in 1977 after his first marriage to actress Randy Gosch ended after five years. Casey gave birth to their daughter Kate in 1979 — but following her labor, she suffered a stroke due to high blood pressure that paralyzed her entire left side. Still, family man Ted insisted in 1989: "We are committed to each other totally. The idea of my having more relationships boggles my mind."
Photo credit: Getty Images
But just a few years later, Whoopi, then 37, turned his world topsy-turvy. In 1992, their on-screen "Made in America' romance turned into a secret affair. Casey was blindsided when she made a surprise visit to the set and reportedly found them taking a romantic walk in the woods. Ted would later described Whoopi as "a very sexy, very funny lady" while guesting on
Arsenio Hall's talk show.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Ted was 45 years old when he left Casey, with whom he also shares adopted daughter Alexis. His bitter ex vowed to “take him to the cleaners,” sources said — and divorce paper showed that Casey refused to reconcile their disputes with "counseling." Ted, meanwhile, made plans to adopt a baby boy with Whoopi four months before his divorce became final, which insiders said further blindsided his estranged wife.
Photo credit: Getty Images
But the hot affair crashed after Ted showed up at a comedy roast for Whoopi in blackface and blurted out the "n-word" more than a dozen times during his insulting bit. "Everyone expected he and Whoopi would get married — including Ted,” said the insider. "Instead, he was single, had broken up his family, and was no longer starring on one of the most popular TV shows ever."
Photo credit: Getty Images
Today, Ted and Casey aren't "exactly on good terms" — and insiders report that
Whoopi still carries a grudge against Mary Steenburgen, who romanced Ted on the set of the low-budget "Pontiac Moon" in 1994. It doesn't help, say pals, that Ted dismissed his romance with Whoopi as a midlife crisis, saying: "I went nuts! I hurt my children. I hurt my wife — but I was doing the best I could at that time."
Photo credit: Getty Images
