March 3, 2025 by Linh

Delta Burke was at the peak of her career in 1990, playing the unforgettable Suzanne Sugarbaker on Designing Women. However, just a year later, she left the show amid a well-publicized dispute with its creator, Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. Though she continued acting sporadically for the next two decades, Burke eventually withdrew from the spotlight, overwhelmed by relentless tabloid scrutiny about her weight and mental health.

Her husband of 36 years, actor Gerald McRaney, 77, recently spoke with PEOPLE about her decision. “I think she had had it with the tabloids and the controversy on Designing Women, and she got tired of everything that came with it,” McRaney shared. “It’s sad because she loved acting, but all the baggage that came with it made her feel like she’d be better off stepping away.”

In a rare 2024 interview on Chelsea Devantez’s Glamorous Trash podcast, Burke, now 68, opened up about the harsh media treatment she endured. She admitted she was “emotionally too fragile” to cope with the negative narratives about her weight. She recalled intrusive questions about whether she was pregnant and a disturbing encounter where a fan physically yanked her coat open, saying, “Let’s see, how fat are ya?”

“I thought I was stronger,” Burke reflected. “I tried very hard to defend myself against the lies and the ugliness, but I wasn’t going to win. I’m just an actress—I don’t have any power.”

McRaney, on the other hand, has remained active in Hollywood, starring in Deadwood, Longmire, This Is Us, House of Cards, and now Hulu’s Paradise. While he admits dealing with the press can be frustrating, he says he’s learned to handle it differently. “I think maybe I’m a little tougher about it,” he said. “But it does get annoying when you read absolute lies about yourself. At one time, you could sue for defamation, but now you have to prove it actually cost you money. That’s ridiculous. A person’s good name is a person’s good name.”

Burke’s decision to appear on Glamorous Trash was a rare exception, prompted by her admiration for Devantez’s memoir, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This. “Delta read her book and really connected with it,” McRaney explained. “She didn’t take the decision lightly—she wrestled with it before ultimately agreeing.”

As for whether Burke will return to acting, McRaney remains uncertain. “Her old agent, who’s now a producer, has convinced her a couple of times to come out of retirement, but she does it very reluctantly,” he shared.

While fans may still hope for a comeback, for now, Delta Burke remains happily out of the spotlight, prioritizing her peace over the pressures of Hollywood.