Ted Danson Still Haunted by ‘Horrendous’ 1993 Blackface Scandal

Ted Danson is a TV icon … but the star has carried massive regret for decades from an insane scandal that would’ve gotten his ass canceled in a flash amid today’s culture.

During a recent stop by W. Kamau Bell‘s ‘Who’s With Me?’ podcast, Ted addressed his 1993 blackface scandal … when he made a total fool of himself for the Friars Club Roast of his then-girlfriend Whoopi Goldberg. Even in 1993 … the dumbfounding decision was blasted in the press.

The film and TV star told Bell … he’ll be apologizing for the rest of his life for the bit — and he should be because he immediately realized on stage how stupid he made himself look. Worth noting, the event was not filmed — but still photos capturing the moment are cringe AF.

Ted maintains his choice to do blackface and use “horrendous” language for the roast was not mean-spirited … he merely wanted to do outrageous “performative theater” or “satire” à la Robin Williams — but yeah, no.

Whoopi has defended Ted over the incident through the years … and while the actor told Bell he was OK discussing the painful matter — he was worried that Whoopi would be asked to address it once again.