Famous for her beauty and talent, Delta Burke left an indelible mark as both a beauty queen and a famous actress. She has faced various challenges throughout her life, including constant scrutiny of her weight, but has also experienced lasting love and success.
Both in real life and on the big screen, Delta Burke excelled as a beauty queen. She fell in love on set and married her co-star Gerald McRaney. They have been married for 33 years.
Burke rose to fame in her twenties as former beauty queen Suzanne Sugarbaker on the television program “Designing Women.” The Florida native has earned herself two Emmy nominations.
In 1987, McRaney was cast in a comedy as Dash Goff, Sugarbaker’s ex-wife. They fell in love off-screen and married in a grandiose ceremony in 1989. Along with 500 other friends, their “Designing Women” co-stars attended the wedding.
Burke was a true beauty queen. She was Miss Florida while attending Colonial High School in Orlando. However, she struggled with her weight throughout her life and experienced body shaming.
Both she and her acting career suffered as a result of others making fun of her for her increasing weight. Her career took a serious hit and she lost touch with her well-known co-star Dixie Carter. In the midst of it all, Burke lost the will to live.
The author tried to lose weight, but it was difficult for her because she was often teased and ridiculed and because the popularity of her program declined.
Burke requested that show creator Linda Bloodworth-Thomason create an episode regarding her weight gain during “Designing Women” season 4 so she could talk candidly about it. Episode Title: “Big Women Shoot, Don’t They?” she portrayed Burke being teased by her classmates at a high school reunion because of her girth.
One of them said: “I heard she’s the new poster child for ‘Save the Whales.'” Another person said: “I heard her previous husbands left because they couldn’t get enough to eat.”
Although the actress was joking in the episode, she was nominated for an Emmy. This didn’t stop others from making fun of her off-screen and her career tanked as a result.
Burke’s friendship with “Designing Women” co-star Dixie Carter soured as her self-esteem plummeted. Their friendship officially began when they starred in the short-lived comedy program “Filthy Rich” in 1982.
However, their friendship came under fire when Burke dealt with issues with the management of “Designing Women” and they fell out.
After years of silence, Carter finally opened up about her strained relationship with Burke in June 2000. The actress, who was Burke’s maid of honor during her marriage to McRaney, spoke openly about their “close” relationship.
Truth be told, I adore Delta. I always have and always will. I don’t think it should be publicized that we are friends and that we will meet again.
Carter said she was “thankful” for all the good things in her life during the interview and thanked her estranged boyfriend and husband.
Burke heard this and began to cry. That’s what she said, right? Really? I simply thought that everything had collapsed,” said the producer.
Carter and Burke, according to Burke, had a wonderful relationship and Carter was “kind” to her. And what happened between us was the most terrible element of everything that happened, she added.
Due to weight issues, the overall image of the “Ladies of the House” alum has changed. Burke’s previous representative, Jean Smart, noted, “She went from being the favorite darling of the press to their favorite target.”
Along with the press, Burke was often made fun of by disc DJs. Delta Dawn, how many pounds have you gained? is a song they even created.
Burke called the negative media coverage a “crisis” because it included private information that impacted her and her husband, McRaney.
She wasn’t used to it, and to make matters worse, they chased after her career, which she described as “sinister”. Burke said that despite her best efforts, they managed to destroy her “positive” reputation.
She recalled how everyone talked about her as if she wasn’t there, and that she couldn’t escape the abuse even on set. Burke mentioned:
“I can still picture myself on a soundstage with a crowd of people trying to decide what to wear. They were talking about me like I didn’t exist. What are we going to do with those hips?
Burke suffered from depression as a result of all the criticism she received about her weight and used medication and therapy to treat it. Her panic attacks worsened when she started working again during the third season.
The brunette was taken to the clinic by Carter, where she was sent to the hospital as she was both mentally and physically exhausted. Burke admitted: “The nurse said I looked like a wounded animal at this point. I wished I wasn’t alive. When they weighed me, I weighed 170 pounds and all I wanted to do was die.
There were claims that Burke was suspended and causing problems on set in the show’s fifth season. There were rumors that if he didn’t lose weight, he might lose his job. Still, co-executive producer Bloodworth-Thomason insisted the rumors were false, saying, “It’s like if you gain weight, you don’t have the right to live in America.”
Burke was fired in 1991 due to strong conflicts that existed behind the scenes. In a 1992 comeback series called “Delta”, she failed but tried to reprise her role as Sugarbaker. The next year, in 1993, ABC canceled the series.
Created by Thomason and based on Suzanne Sugarbaker, the comedy “Ladies of the House” premiered on CBS in 1995. However, it was pulled from the air after just three months.
Burke left “Designing Women” in 1991 at 215 pounds. She believed her weight was to blame for her type 2 diabetes.
In addition to being harassed by the press and often criticized for her weight, Burke’s six-month marriage to McRaney also attracted attention. The “Major Dad” actor allegedly cheated on his wife because of her size, according to media reports. The “Sordid Lives” star revealed:
He said he was feeding me. I was too big, he claimed. Where we run into problems is there. I am evicted by him.
Burke said Thomason prepared an “amazing script” that brought her husband to tears when he suggested she include her weight in the program.
Even though the rumors were true, Burke and McRaney continued to work on their relationship, which was in danger of falling apart due to negative publicity. However, her beloved husband, who went by the nickname “Mac”, had only good things to say about her.
McRaney was always supportive of his wife, even driving to see her when she was depressed, and he didn’t care “how fat she was”. Burke claimed she weighed 170 pounds on her wedding day, but her future husband seemed unconcerned.
He didn’t think about his weight. He told me he didn’t care, but I obviously didn’t believe him.
“There are cases of guys who are ‘total jerks’ who are fine with ‘trophy’ wives, but most of the time it doesn’t work out,” McRaney said in an open statement. However, you must love the person you desire as your wife. He said: “Plain and simple.
When his future wife weighed 150 pounds, McRaney first met her. Burke said she was able to maintain her weight for a year. Her husband still likes her, saying of her, “He’s a lot smarter and tougher than I am.”
Burke’s husband had always loved her, despite the problems she had faced up to that point, including weight issues.
He loved me even when I reached the size of a house. He loved me when I was a brunette. It wasn’t until I came back as a brunette that he let me know he didn’t like it. He loved me through my good times and my bad times. Even if they don’t, they still think my body is fantastic,” she agreed.
Burke knows she can always count on her husband to help her, even though her husband seems handsome and capable of fighting back.
Harry Thomason, the executive producer, yelled at the cast and threw things at them in his office. When she told him she didn’t like it, she tried to leave but he stopped her. Thomason continued his “abuse” until he learned that Burke’s husband had arrived at their production office.
Despite the hard times, the couple stayed strong. They sold their house in Pasadena and moved to New Orleans in 1995 when Burke lost her job and they were struggling financially; it was good for their bond.
Burke was able to restructure her life, which led to positive changes. In addition to publishing a book called “Delta Style,” she has also created a major clothing company and embarked on a national book tour.
Burke, 66, has been praised for being “gorgeous” as she lives happily with her husband and stepchildren. In the mid-2000s, they shared a home with Burke’s mother, who praised McRaney for helping her overcome hardships.
Burke called her husband “amazing” because his weight gain over the years hasn’t affected him. However, he paid special attention to her, giving her dietary advice and giving her insulin. McRaney told his wife it made him feel like he was taking care of her.
Burke stated that they were both doing well and that she was “glad” because she thought her health would improve. The TV celebrity said she will remember that time in her life.
People also noticed Burke’s gorgeous new look. Despite leading a quiet life these days, she and McRaney were last seen in February 2023 and she has clearly been changed.
One fan on social media said: “She’s amazing,” while another added: “She looks gorgeous.” A third user said that she is “talented” and that it is great that she started her own clothing brand that showcases her good sense of style in addition to her exquisite beauty.
Burke withdrew from the public eye. She has no website and rarely goes out in public, but her husband continues to perform.
Burke and McRaney have been partners for three decades and married on May 28, 1989. He has three children from two previous marriages: son Angus, daughters Jessica and Kate, and daughter Kate.
McRaney’s first wife was Beverly Root, whom he married in 1966 and later divorced in 1971. He subsequently married Pat Moran in 1981; however, the two subsequently divorced in 1989.
In November 2014, McRaney and Burke made a public appearance in Studio City, California. After falling on the set of her pilot “Counter Culture” in 2012, forcing production to shut down, she began to disappear.
Despite the lack of employment opportunities, Burke expressed her satisfaction by saying, “Everything is fine.” Simply put, “I’m not feeling it right now!”
Delta Burke’s journey was one of victory over adversity. She weathered the storm of weight-related criticism, battled the pressures of fame, and emerged stronger and more confident. Her story serves as an inspiration to countless individuals facing similar struggles, reminding them that their worth is not defined by societal expectations or numbers on a scale.