Delta Burke candidly discussed the fat-shaming she endured during the ’80s and ’90s on the “Glamorous Trash” podcast, revealing that her weight was even used as a plot point in several episodes of her show, “Designing Women.” The pressure to maintain a thin figure led Burke to turn to drugs, initially using prescribed pills that made her heart race and helped her lose weight while attending drama school in London. After returning to the US and discovering the pills were illegal, she eventually turned to crystal meth as an alternative.
Despite the extreme measures she took to control her weight, Burke still faced criticism from industry professionals and fans about her body. She recalled being emotionally fragile during this time, with people constantly questioning whether she was pregnant and even experiencing a fan “jerking” her coat open to assess her weight. The toxic conversations surrounding her appearance left her feeling vulnerable and insecure, causing her to want to disappear on set and reconsider her desire for fame.
Despite the pain she suffered from the fat-shaming and criticism, Burke believes it was worth it because she met her husband, Gerald McRaney, during her time on “Designing Women.” The couple got engaged on their second date in 1987 and married less than two years later in 1989. Burke credits McRaney for not letting her get away and for being persistent in pursuing a relationship with her, ultimately leading to a lasting marriage that has stood the test of time.
Burke reflected on the harsh realities of Hollywood and how fame was not what she had envisioned, as it brought with it a barrage of negative comments about her appearance. She expressed feeling like she wanted to be a respected actress but instead faced constant criticism and scrutiny over her weight. Despite these challenges, Burke remains grateful for the opportunity to have met her husband and to have built a life together with him, highlighting the positive outcome that came from her time in the limelight.
Burke’s experiences shed light on the damaging effects of fat-shaming and the pressures placed on individuals in the entertainment industry to conform to a certain standard of beauty. Her candid revelations about the use of drugs to control her weight serve as a cautionary tale about the lengths some people will go to in order to meet societal expectations. Through her story, Burke encourages others to challenge harmful beauty standards and to prioritize self-acceptance and self-care over conforming to unrealistic ideals of beauty.
