Ted Danson Says ‘I Want to Apologize for the Rest of My Life’ for Blackface Roast of Whoopi Goldberg: ‘So Arrogant and Stupid’

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Ted Danson said he will spend his lifetime apologizing for performing in blackface while roasting Whoopi Goldberg at a 1993 Friars Club event in New York. Speaking on W. Kamau Bell's podcast, the "Cheers" and "The Good Place" actor called the incident "so arrogant and stupid." Danson's comments mark a continued reckoning with the decades-old performance, which has remained a flashpoint in discussions about comedy, race, and celebrity accountability. The actor's willingness to revisit and condemn his own actions reflects ongoing cultural conversations about the harms of blackface, even when performed by someone considered a friend of the person being roasted.