We often hear about people who are body-shamed in today’s world. It often happens on social media, where people tend to hide behind an anonymous and faceless presence.
On the other hand, body shame is by no means something new. In fact, it has been going on for as long as anybody knows and that is easy to see in the case of this 1980s TV icon.
Many people knew this 80s actress and she essentially became a household name, as she was on one of the most popular sitcoms on TV at the time. Everybody knew her and recognized her face.
There was something that remained steady through it all, however, even when times were tough. It’s the fact that Delta Burke had her husband by her side and he offered her strength and support.
The actress became famous in 1986 after landing the role of Suzanne Sugarbaker on the Designing Women sitcom. Her comedy and her acting abilities really brought out the best in her and she grew in popularity.
It seemed as if she was ready for a very long and successful career, but it wasn’t long before she began experiencing problems as a result of the pressure of Hollywood. It was not only on her mental health but even her self-esteem was suffering.
Everything seemed fine on the surface but she was battling depression in the background. This was something that she had been dealing with for many years, ever since she was a teenager. Sometimes, she would isolate herself from everyone.
Later, she would reveal: “Basically, I would shut down and hole up. I wouldn’t want to leave the apartment until I came out of this dark place. It was very debilitating.”
After the fourth season, she began to have panic attacks and they were affecting her work. Dixie Carter, a close friend and costar would stick by her side and give her the reassurance that she needed during those difficult times.
If it wasn’t bad enough that she was struggling with depression, she began to gain some weight and the tabloids were mocking her appearance. They started calling her ‘Delta Bulk’ and other nasty names.
It was a very difficult thing for her to accept, and she even asked: “I didn’t do anything to deserve this. Why are they so cruel?”
She also spoke about how other women in Hollywood had gained weight and suffered in the same way, including Elizabeth Taylor. Eventually, she would turn to food for comfort and it became a vicious circle.
The emotional struggle she was facing really led to additional weight gain and eventually, she weighed 215 pounds. The show’s producers were upset and there was a lot of tension, so she asked to be released from her contract.
She said: “I wanted to leave, and I wasn’t allowed to leave.” Those who ran the show asked her to come back.
Eventually, she was admitted to the hospital and the nurse said that she ‘looked like a wounded animal.’ Burke went on to say: “I didn’t really want to exist. I remember they weighed me and I was 170 pounds, and I wanted to die.”
Things started to look positive for a moment but then after some negative reports, she started to gain weight again. That is when she went to the show’s producer and asked if they could make a special episode about weight gain.
She said: “I didn’t 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.”
The episode was very successful and she even received a standing ovation from the studio audience. It also landed her an Emmy nomination.
Even though the show was successful, there were still some tension behind the scenes and in 1991, she was dismissed from the show. She felt rejected and retreated to her husband. They sold their home in Pasadena and moved to New Orleans.
Since that time, she has experienced some ups and downs in your life. This included in 1997 when she lost her grandmother, a family pet, her mother had breast cancer, and she was diagnosed with type II diabetes.
Eventually, she was able to adopt a healthier lifestyle and stabilize her weight at 150 pounds. She said that at one point, she had even used crystal meth to lose weight.
When she got back to the United States and found out the diet pills she was using were pills were illegal, she found someone to get them for her. Eventually, she turned to crystal meth as her tolerance built up.
She said: “Nobody knew about crystal meth at the time.”
We are thankful that she has been able to stabilize her life and she continues to be a force to be reckoned with. Her journey has been shown that she has the strength necessary to get through the struggles that life throws at her.
