Roseanne Barr criticized Howard Stern in a lengthy X post after Stern staged a prank on his SiriusXM show suggesting he had been fired. Barr called Stern a "boot-licking p—y" and accused him of becoming a "shill" for what she described as "fascists and pro cancel culture." She posted the comments on Sept. 9.
Barr, 72, also wrote that Stern was once "a bastion of free speech" and later acknowledged him as "still the greatest who ever did it" and part of the "radio Mt. Rushmore," but added that he had been compromised. "They got to him. They will never get to me," she wrote, and said Stern would "always have a seat at my table" if he "wants to grow a pair and put the cats down one day."
The exchange followed a staged bit on Stern's SiriusXM program earlier in the week in which host Andy Cohen appeared to take over in a faux-notice announcing Stern's purported exit. Cohen told listeners he was "winging it" and said "Howard was supposed to start the show today, and this was supposed to be something of a cleaner handoff," before Stern returned to explain the segment was a joke and that he remains under contract.
Stern said he had missed recent shows because he was sick and described rumors he had been fired as unfounded. "I’m very happy at Sirius," Stern told his radio audience, adding he had been annoyed by messages asking if he was okay after reports tied his status to recent high-profile departures at other outlets. He said he had seen coverage suggesting he was let go for being "too woke" and said he did not understand what that meant.
The staged segment rekindled public friction between Barr and Stern. The catalyst for Barr’s social-media outburst included an exchange tied to a meme Barr posted that depicted Stern and Stephen Colbert in bikinis amid rumors Colbert’s show had been canceled. Stern had mocked the meme on air, calling Barr a "f–king weirdo" and "braindead" and questioning what had happened to her.
SiriusXM executives have said they were hopeful about renewing Stern’s contract. Scott Greenstein, SiriusXM’s chief content officer and president, told Variety last week, "We’d love [for Stern] to stay. It certainly has to make sense, but we feel pretty good that we’ve done this before, and we’ll see where it goes."
Barr’s comments added to a recent run of high-profile media tensions in which on-air personalities and creators have sparred publicly over comments about cancel culture, corporate decisions and program renewals. Stern’s clarification that the faux firing was a prank came after a period of speculation about the future of several late-night and radio programs, and his reassurances appeared aimed at quelling concern among longtime listeners.
Both Barr and Stern have long histories as provocative figures in American entertainment. Barr rose to fame as the creator and star of the sitcom Roseanne and has repeatedly sparked controversy on social media and in interviews. Stern became a dominant radio personality by pushing boundaries and cultivating an outspoken persona that frequently attracted public debate.
After the staged bit ended, Stern said he would "have to fill everyone in" on recent absences and reiterated that reports of his firing were untrue. Barr’s response on X kept attention on the dispute, with her remarks mixing praise for Stern’s historic role in radio and harsh criticism of his recent conduct and perceived alignment with mainstream media positions.
There was no immediate response from SiriusXM to Barr’s post. Stern confirmed to listeners that he remains on the air while contract discussions and coverage about talent renewals continue to draw attention across broadcast and streaming platforms.