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Inside Ted Danson and Whoopi Goldberg's secret relationship

File this one under celebrities we had no idea were once together! As unlikely as it seems, The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson, who is currently starring in new NBC sitcom Mr Mayor, actually dated for more than a year back in the '90s.

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The pair supposedly met way back in 1988 when they both appeared on the popular late-night talk show, The Arsenio Hall Show. They soon struck up a friendship, and four years later in 1992, the two comedians were cast alongside each other in the movie Made in America which is where their controversial affair began.

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whoopi-ted-movie

The two comedians starred in 1993 comedy Made In America

While Whoopi was single at the time, having divorced from her second husband the cinematographer David Claessen in 1998, Ted on the other hand, was not. While the co-stars attempted to keep their relationship a secret, tabloids soon got wind of it and word got back to Ted's wife Cassandra Coates who swiftly filed for divorce.

After 16 years together, Ted's ex-wife walked away from their marriage with their two children and $30million, making it one of the most expensive celebrity divorces of the time.

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Following the highly publicised divorce, new couple Ted and Whoopi embraced the limelight and were often papped out and about together - but it wasn't to last long because after just 18 months of dating the two sadly split.

While neither have spoken explicitly about what caused the break-up, tabloids at the time reported that the Cheers star dumped Whoopi under pressure from his parents.

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ted-danson-whoopi-goldberg

Ted and Whoopi's relationship was shortlived

Commenting on their relationship and subsequent break-up, Whoopi told Closer: "It was really painful, and it was very public. And the loss of his friendship hurts a great deal. We can never go and have a soda, anywhere," adding: "I'm friends with almost every man I've gone out with, except this man."

Following their whirlwind romance, both Ted and Whoopi quickly found love again. Whoopi met her third husband Lyle Trachtenberg just a year later, although the relationship wasn't meant to be as the two were only together for a year before calling it quits.

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ted-danson-mary-steenberg

Ted has been happily married to Mary Steenburgen for 25 years

Meanwhile, Ted found love again with the actress Mary Steenburgen, who he met on the set of his next major movie Pontiac Moon. Luckily for Ted, it was meant to be this time and two have been together ever since. Speaking about his 25-year marriage to Mary, who even had a cameo on Ted's Netflix sitcom The Good Place, the actor said: "When I die, I will have known in this life what it is to love as a human being and to be loved, and I am so grateful."

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