John Goodman Discusses Weight Gain, Sobriety, and Roseanne Barr's New Sitcom

Actor John Goodman has opened up about his struggles with weight gain and addiction, detailing how he reached nearly 400 pounds after quitting alcohol in 2007. Goodman, 74, told The New Yorker that his addictive tendencies transferred from drinking to eating, leading to significant weight fluctuations.

"I'd lose 60 pounds in a summer, gain it all back - 70 pounds, 80 pounds - and that got tiring," Goodman stated. "I took steps so I wouldn't have to do that anymore. I was almost 400 pounds. I was eating alcoholically after I stopped drinking."

He explained that his decision to stop drinking stemmed from being "sick and tired of being sick and tired." Goodman reflected that the immediate gratification from drinking led to a cycle of hangovers and withdrawal symptoms, a pattern he sought to break. He described his drinking as a way he was "delaying my maturation" and admitted it made him "selfish" and caused him to overlook "real life."

To address his weight gain, Goodman underwent stomach surgery, which he said resulted in complications, including anemia and a constant feeling of being cold.

This revelation comes as former "Roseanne" castmate Roseanne Barr recently stated that Goodman declined an offer to guest star on her new sitcom, "Meemaw." The two have not been on speaking terms since Barr was fired from the "Roseanne" reboot in 2018 following an offensive tweet. Barr told The Hollywood Reporter that Goodman's son had approached him about a cameo.

Barr expressed her sadness over the estrangement, saying, "Nobody is more brokenhearted than me. I just choose to remember the fun and the good times." She indicated that she once considered her "Roseanne" castmates family, but singled out Sara Gilbert and Wanda Sykes for publicly denouncing her after the incident.

Goodman has previously defended Barr, stating in 2018 that he knew "for a fact that she's not a racist." He offered further public support in 2023, telling Variety, "I felt bad for her. I just feel terrible about the whole thing. We had a great time. And I love her. She’s just her own person."

"Meemaw" is a self-funded sitcom Barr is pitching, featuring a cast with conservative leanings, including Drea de Matteo, Randy Quaid, and Jon Lovitz. The series stars Barr as a "fiercely patriotic prepper grandma" whose character "sets out to save America, take down a criminal empire, and throw her granddaughter the perfect Bat Mitzvah." Quaid, who has supported efforts to re-examine the 2020 election results, plays Barr's on-screen husband.

Barr's 2018 tweet about Valerie Jarrett, an advisor to former President Barack Obama, led to the cancellation of the "Roseanne" reboot and her subsequent departure from ABC. Despite the controversy, Barr maintains that "Meemaw" will "make fun of everybody" and is not exclusively targeting progressives, noting she has "great jokes about Republicans."