Every partnership has unique issues. One wouldn’t anticipate their spouse to pursue another woman while they are still married, though. While Ted Danson was married to Casey Coates, he performed just that. The difficulties Danson and Coates had to endure had a significant negative impact on their marriage. But when Danson cheated on her with Whoopi Goldberg, it was the last straw.
Having just divorced his first wife, Danson first met Coates in 1975. She definitely captured Danson’s heart, and they soon became engaged. Coates’ stroke after labor caused her to become paraplegic, which put a strain on an otherwise happy marriage. Coates pleaded with her husband to go, but he persisted. She stated that all she did for the first month was weep. Ted was able to leave her with her consent. She believed she would spend the rest of life in a wipeout.
Fortunately, she made a full recovery, but their bond never restored. The sad event made their distance wider. The two daughters’ that they shared struggled with a lack of trust. After Danson engaged in a contentious relationship with Whoopi Goldberg on the sets of 1993’s Made in America, everything became worse. The pair had fantastic chemistry, and everyone in town was talking about them. There was no turning back for Danson when the affair became so well known.
Danson reportedly commented at the time, he would live in Whoopi’s shadow for the rest of his life and he adored the woman. Soon, Danson and Coates’ 16-year union broke down. It resulted in a $30 million divorce payment, which at the time was among the most costly divorce settlements in Hollywood.
Danson was eager to keep seeing Goldberg because his wife and girls were no longer a part of his life. He intended to wed her and have a family together. However, their bond suffered after he donned blackface makeup for a Friars Club roast. Eighteen months after they started their relationship, they broke up as Danson’s parents disapproved of their relationship.
When Ted could obtain a divorce, they made arrangements to get married, but under pressure from his parents, Ted ditched Whoopi, according to a source. For a long time, the pair avoided talking about their breakup, but years later, Goldberg spoke up about how terrible it was.
In reference to how her relationship with Danson ended, Goldberg said that it was really traumatic, and it was extremely public. And it really hurts to lose his friendship. She is friends with practically every man she has dated, but not this man, so they can never go out for a Coke anyplace, she stated. Danson, on the other hand, said he wasn’t prepared to discuss how his relationship with Goldberg had ended.
The Cheers star had no desire to fall in love again or wed, but after meeting Mary Steenburgen, he had a change of heart. The pair have been married for 25 years.
