Roseanne Barr Blasts Former Co-Star as a 'Brainwashed Bigot'
By Andrew Powell (/journals/andrew-powell)
Roseanne Barr is taking aim at her former “Roseanne” co-star Michael Fishman after he said the sitcom’s 2018 revival was “rightfully canceled.” According to Fox News, during an appearance on the “Can’t Be Censored” podcast, Barr, 73, sharply criticized Fishman and accused him of failing to understand the comments that led to the reboot’s cancellation. “He f---ing doesn’t even f---ing know what I said, even though I’ve explained it 10,000 times for nine years on the internet,” Barr said. She then called Fishman a “bigot” and a “brainwashed bigot.” The original “Roseanne” revival premiered in March 2018 and quickly became a major ratings success. Its run ended only two months later after Barr posted a racist comment about Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama. Barr apologized for the post multiple times, but ABC fired her and canceled the revived series. The network later launched “The Conners,” which brought back much of the original cast without Barr. Barr recalled having repeated arguments with Fishman over her comments. According to her account, Fishman questioned her about the controversy many times before she eventually told him to stop discussing it with her. “Don’t put my name in your f---ing mouth; shut the f--- up,” Barr recalled saying. She also accused him of lacking the geopolitical context to understand what she had said. Barr has made clear in recent years that she no longer maintains relationships with her former castmates. In a June 2025 interview with Fox News Digital, she said they were “all in the past” while also recalling the fun she had making the original series. Laurie Metcalf, who played Jackie Harris on “Roseanne,” recently told The New Yorker that she and Barr had not spoken since the reboot ended. Barr also revealed in her documentary, “Roseanne Barr Is America,” that she turned down an offer to appear on “The Conners.” She said producers wanted her to return as a ghost after her character had been killed off-screen. Barr rejected the proposal, saying she did not want to return to a show she believed had taken her place after her firing. Watch the video below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiCbuNHZdgs