Ted Danson has stated that he expects to be apologizing for “the rest of my life” following his decision to appear in blackface at a 1993 Friars Club roast for Whoopi Goldberg. The Curb Your Enthusiasm actor addressed the incident during a recent appearance on W. Kamau Bell’s podcast, Who’s With Me?, emphasizing his desire to make amends for a moment he now views as profoundly misguided.

Reflecting on the event, which occurred while he and Goldberg were in a relationship, Danson admitted that his attempt at “performance theatre” was a failure of judgment. “That I thought that this white guy could have something valuable to say about race and race relations was so stupid and entitled,” he said. He explained that he had initially tried to decline the roast, but felt pressured by the Friars Club to participate.

Danson described the immediate backlash he faced during the event, noting that the audience reaction was swift and overwhelmingly negative. “Within 20 seconds, I was like, ‘I stuck my finger in a light socket,’” he recalled. Despite the controversy, he acknowledged that his primary focus remains on the impact his actions had on others, rather than his own intentions at the time.

The actor also expressed gratitude toward Goldberg for her grace in defending him over the years, though he acknowledged that she should never have been put in that position. Following the resurgence of the incident during the Black Lives Matter movement, Danson sought guidance from author Heather McGhee, with the help of Jane Fonda, to better understand the weight of his actions. “She wasn’t giving me a pass,” Danson said of his conversations with McGhee. “She was saying, ‘This is an opportunity that I hope you take.’”