Roseanne Barr Calls Former Co-Star a 'Brainwashed Bigot'

Roseanne Barr has responded to her former "Roseanne" co-star Michael Fishman, calling him a "brainwashed bigot" in a recent podcast appearance. Fishman had stated that the 2018 reboot of the sitcom was "rightfully canceled."

During an interview on the "Can't Be Censored" podcast, Barr, 73, criticized Fishman's comments. "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. "He hasn’t even taken the time to listen to what I say because he’s a bigot. And he’s a brainwashed bigot."

The reboot of the popular 90s show premiered in March 2018 and was subsequently canceled by ABC in May of that year. The cancellation followed a racist remark made by Barr about Valerie Jarrett, a former advisor to President Obama. Barr has since apologized multiple times for the comment.

Following Barr's termination and the show's cancellation, ABC developed a spin-off titled "The Conners." This new series featured most of the original "Roseanne" cast but did not involve Barr.

Barr recounted an interaction where Fishman repeatedly inquired about her controversial comments. She stated she eventually told him to "go and f- - - yourself and stay f- - -ed ‘till the day you die." She added, "Don’t put my name in your f---ng mouth; shut the f--- up. You are an ignoramus and a bigot, and you have no idea what I said because it contradicts the Democratic Party platform that you’ve had shoved down your throat and up your a--. So just f--- you. You have no geopolitical context whatsoever to discuss what I said."

Laurie Metcalf, who portrayed Barr's sister Jackie Harris on the show, mentioned in a recent interview with The New Yorker that she and Barr "haven’t spoken since we said goodbye at the end of the reboot."

Barr herself confirmed in June 2025 that she had not maintained contact with her former castmates. "No, I'm not friends with none of them. They're all in the past," she told Fox News Digital. "I have pleasant memories of what fun we had – wish them all the best. And no, we don't talk. I've moved on from that horrendous ending and chapter of my life, but you know, I don't hold any bitterness or nothing to them, but my God, what fun we had on that show." She also expressed regret that the show's outcome was negatively impacted by "greed and ridiculous stupidity."

When "The Conners" premiered, Barr's character was written off the show through an on-screen death.

In her documentary, "Roseanne Barr is America," Barr revealed that she declined an offer to make a guest appearance on "The Conners." She stated the producers asked her to return as a ghost. "They called me and asked me if I would like to come back as a guest star. You're coming back as a ghost," Barr said. "You're asking me to come back to the show that you f---ing stole from me and killed my a--, and now you want me to show up because you got s--- f---ing ratings and play a ghost?"