Delta Burke’s Husband Gerald McRaney Reveals Why the ‘Designing Women’ Star Left the Spotlight

Delta Burke’s husband, Gerard McRaney, is opening up about the Designing Women alum’s decision to leave the spotlight.

“I think she had had it with the tabloids and that dust up she had on Designing Women, and she got tired of all the stuff that goes with it,” the Major Dad star, 77, told People in an interview published on Sunday, March 2. “It’s sort of sad because she loved the process of acting, but it was all the stuff that went along with it that persuaded her maybe she should be better off not doing this.”

Delta, 68, is most known for her role as Suzanne Sugarbaker in Designing Women, which she held from 1986 to 1991. The actress reportedly exited the series over a high-profile disagreement with its creator, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason.

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Delta opened up about what led to her departure from the comedy show and the aftermath of her exit in a rare interview with Chelsea Devantez on her “Glamorous Trash” podcast in April 2024.

“It got ugly and very sad,” she admitted. “We do Designing Women, and I’m so happy to be there. I love everything. But then things started to change, which I won’t go into. But that, combined with becoming famous, that I simply couldn’t cope with.”

Delta claimed that she “wanted to leave” but “wasn’t allowed to leave.” She also noted that she “loved” her character, who “evolved” on the show over five seasons.

Additionally, Delta spoke about her relationship with Linda, 77, whom she also worked with on the 1982 sitcom Filthy Rich and the 1995 sitcom Women of the House.

“I love her very much, I admire a lot that she’s done, I’m very thankful for everything that she’s done for me, but there’s other issues. Well, basically, we tried to kill each other, but you know, we survived,” she said.

After her exit from Designing Women, Delta continued to act in various roles over the next 20 years, with her latest credit being an appearance in a 2019 episode of Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings.

Speaking about her exit from Hollywood, Delta said on the podcast, “Hollywood will mess your head up. And I had always thought, ‘I want to be a famous actress.’ I thought that meant that you would be a famous and well-respected actress, but that’s not what it meant. And the moment I became famous, it was like, ‘Oh no, no, no. This is not what I had in mind at all. I don’t think I want to be this anymore.’ But then it’s too late.’”

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Throughout her career, Delta faced scrutiny for her weight, and her struggles served as the inspiration for her 1998 book, Delta Style: Eve Wasn’t a Size 6 and Neither Am I. During her appearance on “Glamorous Trash,” the Delta star admitted that she went so far as to try crystal meth to lose weight in the 1980s.

“Nobody knew about crystal meth at the time,” she revealed. “[They told me,] ‘You chop it up. You snort.’ I said, ‘I don’t want to snort it.’ So, I put it in cranberry juice and [drank] it … and wouldn’t eat for five days.”

However, even after using the drugs, Delta admitted, “They were still saying, ‘Your butt’s too big. Your legs are too big.’ And I now look back at those pictures and go, ‘I was a freaking goddess.’”