Cheers was one of the biggest shows of the 1980s, running for 11 seasons before closing the curtain on May 20, 1993; however, behind the scenes, there were plenty of ups... and dark downs, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Following the tragic death of George Wendt, who played Norm Peterson on the sitcom, all eyes once again are on the popular show and all that occurred on and off the set.
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Ted Danson had an 'affair' with Whoopi Goldberg while married.
Ted Danson charmed audiences as Sam Malone on Cheers, a first-class womanizer. But in real life, the actor was married to Cassandra Coates when he sparked up a romance with Whoopi Goldberg, leading his wife to file for a divorce.
"I didn't really grow up emotionally until I was in my 40s," he once said in an interview, and noted that he wouldn't "be too specific."
Danson explained: "I was a bit of a liar in my relationship. I'll leave it at that."
The TV star's divorce is said to have cost him $30million.
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Shelly Long didn't exactly make it easy for cast and crew during her tenure on 'Cheers.'
Shelly Long left the NBC series in 1987, after playing Shelley Long for five years, and her exit appeared to be a good thing for cast and crew.
"I can't think of one thing about Shelly that wasn't negative," Danson reportedly said following her exit. Meanwhile, another star said Long was "always fighting with the producers and writers."
In 2024, while on the Smartless podcast, Danson had a change of tune,
He said: "It was hard for (long and I) sometimes to be in the room together, but when we started working, it was just fantastic because you'd smack her and she'd smack you back harder. She was just brilliant.”
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Rhea Pearlman's time on 'Cheers' was a family affair.
As Carla Tortelli, Pearlman was a man-eater. But in reality, the actress had been married to Danny DeVito since 1982 until they parted ways in 2012.
The couple welcomed three children, and Pearlman made it clear that her family would come first: her kids were always on set, her father Phil was a bar regular on the show, and her sister Heidi was even a writer for the sitcom.
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Woody Harrelson was linked to plenty of Hollywood starlets while on 'Cheers.'
Woody Harrelson was a complete ladies' man when not on the program, as he had been linked to numerous notable Hollywood stars during its run, including Brooke Shields, Glenn Close, and Carol Kane.
However, Harrelson also had a secret dark family past, as his father, Charles, was sentenced to two life terms behind bars after he was convicted of murdering federal judge John H. Wood Jr.
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Kelsey Grammer found himself dealing with police on numerous occasions.
As Fraiser Crane, Kelsey Grammer was spotless, but off-set, he had issues.
Grammer, at the time, had many run-ins with the law, especially for drunk driving and possession of cocaine. At one point, while on house arrest, he was allowed to show up to the Cheers set wearing an electronic tracking device on his ankle.
However, Grammer admitted it was the murder of his sister, Karen, that led him down a dark path.
"I cursed myself with too much drinking and drug abuse," Grammer reflected. "And some fairly exotic sexual behavior. Started out being a lot of fun, and then the fun ran out. It was my way of burying myself along with Karen, until the only option was to deal with it and live my life. To mourn my sister without destroying myself."
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Kirstie Alley had drug and weight issues for years before her death.
Kirstie Alley, who played Rebecca Howe, found herself trying to keep extra pounds off while also battling a drug habit, which she successfully did in 1979.
"When I came out of my drug stupor in 1979, I decided I wanted to act," she said. In 1990, however, Alley and her husband, Parker Stevenson, suffered a miscarriage.
"I thought the hardest part of being 35 and having a baby would be getting pregnant, but that was the easy bit," Alley recalled.
She added: "It never even dawned on me that I would lose my baby."
The actress died on December 5, 2022, after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.
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Nicholas Colasanto died while still a member of the cast.
Nicholas Colasanto played Coach Ernie Pantusso for three seasons, until he died of a heart attack at his home on February 12, 1985. He was 61 years old.
Colasanto was described as a father figure for the cast by co-creator James Burrows: "He was the older, more experienced one of all of us. Nick was Coach."
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Wendt's tragic death brought all eyes back on the popular show.
Wendt died on Tuesday, May 20, after he was said to have been fighting with his weight following plenty of concerns from his friends and family.
The star's family confirmed his passing in an emotional statement: "George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him.
"He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time."
Wendt played Norm Peterson on the show, one of the most popular characters.
