Ted Danson still sorry for blackface Whoopi roast — 30 years later Ted Danson has expressed ongoing remorse for his 1993 blackface performance at a Friars Club roast honoring Whoopi Goldberg, describing the act as “arrogant and stupid.” He now believes that the impact of an action is more important than the intention behind it, despite Goldberg’s initial defense of the routine as roast humor. The incident is revisited in the context of other celebrities apologizing for blackface and a cultural reckoning with such performances in media.

• Ted Danson continues to apologize for his 1993 blackface performance at a Friars Club roast of Whoopi Goldberg.
• Danson described the act as “arrogant and stupid” and stated that intentions do not matter as much as impact.
• Whoopi Goldberg initially defended the performance as typical roast humor and part of her taboo-breaking career, even contributing to the material.
• The 1993 event was for attendees only, but photographs of Danson’s performance remain circulated.
• The article notes other instances of blackface in entertainment, including apologies from Jimmy Fallon and Jimmy Kimmel, and Howard Stern’s blackface impersonation of Danson.