{"id":6024,"date":"2024-11-22T14:22:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:22:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/?p=6024"},"modified":"2024-11-22T14:22:51","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T14:22:51","slug":"she-was-an-80s-star-ridiculed-by-tabloids-for-her-weight-but-her-husband-always-remained-by-her-side-inside-their-love-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/she-was-an-80s-star-ridiculed-by-tabloids-for-her-weight-but-her-husband-always-remained-by-her-side-inside-their-love-story\/","title":{"rendered":"She Was an ’80s Star Ridiculed by Tabloids for Her Weight, but Her Husband Always Remained by Her Side – Inside Their Love Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
In the late 1980s, this actress became a household name, charming viewers with her sharp humor and larger-than-life personality on one of television\u2019s most popular sitcoms. But as her fame grew, so did behind-the-scenes tensions and public ridicule over her weight.\n\n\n\n
However, through it all, one constant remained: her husband\u2019s steadfast love. While the world fixated on her struggles, he offered her strength and support, helping her rebuild her life away from the limelight.\n\n\n\n The actress at the premiere of \u201cMurder Me, Murder You\u201d in 1983. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n In 1986, this\u00a0actress\u00a0landed the role of Suzanne Sugarbaker on the hit sitcom \u201cDesigning Women,\u201d where her striking charisma and sharp comedic timing brought her fame and admiration.\n\n\n\n With her quick wit and undeniable charm, she won over audiences and seemed destined for a long, successful career. Yet, as the spotlight brightened, the pressures of Hollywood began to take a devastating toll on her mental health and self-esteem.\n\n\n\n The famous actress and the cast of \u201cDesigning Women\u201d circa 1987. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Behind the scenes, the actress was struggling with depression, a battle she had faced since her teenage years. By the end of the show\u2019s second season, the condition worsened, leading to periods where she would isolate herself completely.\n\n\n\n \u201cBasically, I would shut down and hole up,\u201d she later\u00a0revealed. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t want to leave the apartment until I came out of this dark place. It was very debilitating.\u201d\n\n\n\n The \u201cDesigning Women\u201d star and her castmates filming the popular series in 1987. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Her struggles became more apparent during the show\u2019s fourth season, as crippling panic attacks began to affect her work. These episodes were terrifying, often causing her entire body to spasm.\n\n\n\n Her co-star and close friend Dixie Carter would lay beside her and reassure her during these moments, offering much-needed comfort.\n\n\n\n The actress as Suzanne Sugarbaker in \u201cDesigning Women\u201d circa 1987. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Despite these personal battles, the actress pushed forward in her role, but her weight gain soon became a target of relentless media scrutiny. As her figure changed, tabloids mocked her appearance with cruel nicknames like \u201cDelta Bulk.\u201d\n\n\n\n The harsh coverage was emotionally devastating. \u201cThe tabloid machine tortured [her],\u201d co-star Annie Potts later said. Reflecting on the public\u2019s obsession with her body, the actress, a former Miss Florida, questioned why she was subjected to such ridicule.\n\n\n\n The famous actress on the set of \u201cWhere the Hell\u2019s That Gold?\u201d in 1988. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t do anything to deserve this. Why are they so cruel?\u201d she asked. She compared her struggles to those faced by icons like Elizabeth Taylor, noting that many women in Hollywood were harshly judged for gaining weight.\n\n\n\n The star\u2019s depression and public humiliation drove her to food for solace. \u201cWhen I would be depressed in L.A., it would be, \u2018Let\u2019s just have one Stouffer\u2019s macaroni and cheese after another,’\u201d she admitted.\n\n\n\n The \u201980s TV icon circa 1989. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n The weight gain, however, wasn\u2019t just about physical hunger. It symbolized deeper emotional struggles that she couldn\u2019t resolve. Over time, the actress\u2019s weight eventually climbed to 215 pounds, sparking tension with the show\u2019s producers.\n\n\n\n At one point the actress asked to be released from her contract, physically and mentally exhausted. \u201cI wanted to leave, and I wasn\u2019t allowed to leave,\u201d she stated. Showrunners pushed to have her come back to the series.\n\n\n\n The star filming \u201cDesigning Women\u201d in 1990. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Instead, a concerned friend admitted her to a hospital. \u201cThe nurse said I looked like a wounded animal. I didn\u2019t really want to exist. I remember they weighed me and I was 170 pounds, and I wanted to die,\u201d she revealed.\n\n\n\n The Hollywood star filming \u201c\u201dDesigning Women\u201d circa 1990. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Amid these challenges, things were looking up for a moment. Not wanting to add fuel to the fire, according to\u00a0reports, the actress \u201cbacked off\u201d once reports about her weight emerged.\n\n\n\n Instead, she turned to the show\u2019s creator, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, with a bold idea \u2014 to address her weight gain in an episode of \u201cDesigning Women.\u201d\n\n\n\n \u201cI didn\u2019t want to help them hurt me. I was also getting frustrated playing Suzanne. I wanted to show another side of her. I went to Linda and talked to her about doing a show on the weight,\u201d the actress revealed.\n\n\n\n The result was the groundbreaking storyline \u201cThey Shoot Fat Women, Don\u2019t They,\u201d where her character grapples with body image issues.\n\n\n\n The \u201cDesigning Women\u201d star at the 5th Annual American Cinematheque Award Honoring Ron Howard in 1990. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n The episode was a critical success, earning the actress a standing ovation from the studio audience and her first Emmy nomination. It was later revealed that Bloodworth-Thomason\u2019s husband cried while reading the script.\n\n\n\n Despite this success, the tensions behind the scenes continued to mount, and in 1991, the actress was let go from the show. The impact of her dismissal was profound.\n\n\n\n The Hollywood star at the taping of Bob Hope\u2019s TV Special \u201cBob Hope\u2019s Yellow Ribbon Party\u201d in 1991. Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Feeling rejected by Hollywood and abandoned by an industry she had poured her heart into, she retreated from the limelight. She and her husband sold their home in Pasadena in 1995 and moved to New Orleans for a fresh start.\n\n\n\n The famous actress, circa 1995. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n The move was a turning point in her life, allowing her to step away from the pressures of Hollywood. There, she embraced her identity and created a clothing line for plus-size women, later writing her memoir, \u201cDelta Style: Eve Wasn\u2019t a Size 6 and Neither Am I.\u201d\n\n\n\n The actress photographed at the Mark Hotel in New York in 1995. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n But challenges persisted. In 1997, she experienced a particularly dark year. She mourned the loss of her grandmother and a beloved pet while supporting her mother, who was battling breast cancer.\n\n\n\n The actress spotted at Los Angeles International Airport in 1996. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n That same year, she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. \u201cI knew I had to lose some more weight,\u201d she said. Gradually, she adopted a healthier lifestyle, stabilizing her weight at 150 pounds \u2014 the same weight she had been when she met her husband.\n\n\n\n Years later, the former Hollywood star opened up about how she once turned to crystal meth as a weight loss method. She started off taking prescribed pills while attending drama school in London.\n\n\n\n The \u201980s TV icon at the launch of her clothing line in New York in 1998. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n However, once she returned to the U.S. and learned that the pills were illegal, the actress found someone on a set to get them for her. Eventually, she built a tolerance to the pills and was offered crystal meth instead to manage her weight.\n\n\n\n The actress at the 46th Annual Genii Awards in 2001 in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n \u201cNobody knew about crystal meth at the time,\u201d she said during a podcast appearance in 2024. She would ingest the substance before work and wouldn\u2019t eat for days. Fortunately, the actress saw brighter days after meeting her husband.\n\n\n\n The actress photographed on February 15, 2005, in New York. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Delta Burke\u2019s life took a fateful turn in 1987 when she met Gerald McRaney, an accomplished actor cast as her character Suzanne\u2019s ex-husband, Dash Goff, on \u201cDesigning Women.\u201d\n\n\n\n Delta Burke as Suzanne Sugarbaker and Gerald McRaney as Dash Goff in \u201cDesigning Women\u201d in 1989. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n Their on-screen chemistry soon translated into a real-life romance, with McRaney making his intentions clear early on. \u201cHe asked me to marry him on the second date, so we were pretty committed!\u201d Burke recalled with a laugh.\n\n\n\n Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney at the 39th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 1987. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n McRaney later admitted, \u201cI wasn\u2019t going to let her get away. I already had competition. There were people asking her out on dates, and I was going to move in right away.\u201d\n\n\n\n Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney at a party in West Hollywood, circa 1987. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n The couple married in 1989 in a lavish ceremony attended by Burke\u2019s co-stars and 500 other guests, with the bride weighing 170 pounds on her wedding day. From the beginning, McRaney proved to be a pillar of strength and unconditional love in Burke\u2019s life.\n\n\n\n When she faced unrelenting scrutiny over her weight, he remained unwavering in his support. \u201cThe weight never mattered to him,\u201d Burke said. \u201cHe told me that honest to God he didn\u2019t care, which of course I didn\u2019t believe.\u201d\n\n\n\n Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney, circa 2000. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n McRaney offered his own perspective on their relationship. \u201c[\u2026] If what you want is a trophy wife, then be happy with how empty and vacuous that\u2019ll turn out to be,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if what you want is a wife, then you love that person. Period.\u201d\n\n\n\n Gerald McRaney and Delta Burke at the afterparty for the opening night of the Broadway musical \u201cWonderful Town\u201d on November 23, 2003, in New York. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n McRaney\u2019s devotion became especially evident during one of Burke\u2019s darkest moments. After her dismissal from \u201cDesigning Women\u201d and the media\u2019s relentless attacks, her depression reached a breaking point. One night, she found herself alone in her car, swallowing pills and contemplating suicide.\n\n\n\n Delta Burke and Gerald McRaney during the 50th Annual Drama Desk Awards in New York in 2005. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n In a desperate call, she reached out to McRaney. \u201cI didn\u2019t know where I was, but he found me,\u201d she said. As Burke rebuilt her life, her husband stood by her side, offering love and encouragement through every challenge.\n\n\n\n Gerald McRaney and Delta Burke at the premiere of \u201cGet Low\u201d on July 27, 2010, in Beverly Hills, California. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n When she was diagnosed with diabetes, he supported her efforts to adopt a healthier lifestyle. The actress often marveled at her husband\u2019s unwavering affection.\n\n\n\n \u201cMac loves me no matter what,\u201d she said. \u201cHe loved me when I got as big as a house. [\u2026] He still thinks my body looks great, and I can certifiably tell you it does not!\u201d\n\n\n\n Gerald McRaney and Delta Burke at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmy Award on September 10 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n The couple\u2019s bond deepened over the years, marked by a shared sense of humor and mutual respect. In 2017, when McRaney won an Emmy for his role in \u201cThis Is Us,\u201d he used the moment to honor Burke.\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a man, I\u2019ve had the love of the finest woman I can possibly imagine,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the end of a day\u2019s work, I get to come home to her \u2014 that\u2019s the fun.\u201d\n\n\n\n Gerald McRaney and Delta Burke sharing a kiss at the 2017 Creative Arts Emmy Award on September 10 in Los Angeles, California. | Source: Getty Images\n\n\n\n \u201cWe did a renewal of our vows once, and one of the things that Delta wrote into the vows was that we embrace each other\u2019s insanity. Not just accept it \u2013 embrace it,\u201d the famous actor added.\n\n\n\n While Burke stepped away from Hollywood, she found joy and fulfillment in her personal life. \u201cI love my life truly for the first time,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd I love him desperately.\u201d\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" In the late 1980s, this actress became a household name, charming viewers with her sharp humor and larger-than-life personality on one of television\u2019s most popular […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6024"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6024"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6024\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6025,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6024\/revisions\/6025"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6024"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6024"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6024"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n\n\n\n
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