'Designing Woman' star Delta Burke reveals she used crystal meth to lose weight, fans say 'not cool'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Delta Burke, renowned for her portrayal of Suzanne Sugarbaker in 'Designing Women' over five seasons, has made headlines for a revelation that has unfortunately sparked trolling.
Burke bravely disclosed the pressures she endured regarding her weight, recounting a period during her stint on the TV series 'Filthy Rich' when she resorted to using crystal meth in an attempt to shed pounds, as per HuffPost.
In a recent episode of the 'Glamorous Trash' podcast, the 67-year-old actress Burke shared with host Chelsea Devantez a personal anecdote. Burke revealed that during her time at acting school in London, she was prescribed weight-loss medication.
However, she was unaware that the prescription was prohibited in the United States until she returned home.
What did Delta Burke say?
Burke recounted on the podcast that while working on the set of 'Filthy Rich', which aired for two seasons in 1982 and 1983, she discovered someone who could provide her with pills similar to the ones she had been prescribed in London.
She referred to these pills as "Black Beauties" and admitted to taking them in the morning to suppress her appetite, stating, "They were like medicine to me."
As her tolerance to the "Black Beauties" grew, someone on the set of 'Filthy Rich' suggested to Burke that she try methamphetamine as an alternative. "Nobody knew about crystal meth at the time," she said on the podcast.
Burke added, "[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."
"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,''' she continued.
Following the conclusion of 'Filthy Rich' in 1983, Burke experienced a breakthrough with her role on 'Designing Women'. Between 1986 and 1991, she garnered two Emmy nominations for her performance on the show.
However, Burke revealed on the podcast that she found herself "emotionally too fragile" to cope with the "incredibly ugly" storylines centered around her size. The constant attention on her weight eventually led to her decision to depart from the program.
"I thought I was stronger. I tried very hard to defend myself against lies and all the ugliness that was there and I wasn’t gonna win. I’m just an actress, you know. I don’t have any power," Burke explained, recalling that one time "on the set, when it got to be really bad, and I wasn’t handling it well with a smiling face, my whole body language changed. I would kind of hunch over... I just tried to disappear."
She added, "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."
Internet reacts to Burke's revelation of using meth for weight loss
Several social media users slammed Burke for using meth for weight loss. An Instagram user said, "Did it work? Is the weight gone or just your teeth?" A user said, "They'll try anything but diet and exercise."
A next user joked, "The good ol meth diet ...u definitely will loose the weight.. and your teeth and your dignity along with it. Please Don't."
Another said, "It can NEVER be Healthy..Literally." A user sarcastically wrote, "Isn't that scott disick's diet."
A user wrote, "Nice way to say u a crackhead." Another added, "Craziest thing I've ever heard.. my lord." A user said, "This is not cool at all."
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