Roseanne Barr Lashes Out at Former Co-Star Michael Fishman Over Racism Scandal Comments

Roseanne Barr, 73, recently unleashed a torrent of expletives against her former "Roseanne" co-star Michael Fishman, 44, during an appearance on the "Can't Be Censored" podcast. The outburst came in response to Fishman's August statements characterizing Barr's 2018 remarks about former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett as "indefensible" and "dehumanizing," and stating that the revived "Roseanne" series was "rightfully canceled."

Barr, who was a political activist when the show was canceled, blasted Fishman as a "little fucking worm" and a "brainwashed bigot." She accused him of not understanding her original comments and claimed he was a bigot for not listening to her explanations. "He fucking doesn't even fucking know what I said, even though I've explained it 10,000 times for nine years on the Internet," Barr stated during the podcast. "He hasn't even taken the time to listen to what I say because he's a bigot. And he's a brainwashed bigot."

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In 2018, Barr's tweet comparing Jarrett, who is Black, to "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes" led ABC to cancel the revival of her sitcom, which had been a ratings success. While Barr initially defended her remarks, she later apologized to Jarrett for making a "bad joke" and temporarily left Twitter. However, the apology did not prevent the network from canceling the show.

During the podcast, Barr claimed that Fishman had asked her to clarify her tweet. She recounted telling him, "Go and fuck yourself and stay fucked 'til the day you die. Don't put my name in your fucking mouth, shut the fuck up." She further asserted that Fishman lacked "geopolitical context" to discuss her statement. Barr attempted to explain her tweet as a reference to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, alleging that "Planet of the Apes" was her nickname for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. She claimed the deal had "destroyed the rights of women in Iran."

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Barr also suggested that Fishman was only on the show because of her, stating, "And I’m glad they fired you, because I was the only reason you were ever on that show. They wanted to get rid of you in the reboot, and I made them take you back." Fishman had appeared in the first few seasons of "The Conners," a spin-off of "Roseanne," before his departure.

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Fishman, who played D.J. Conner in the original series, the reboot, and "The Conners," had broken his silence on the scandal in August via Instagram. He addressed a fan's comment suggesting the show was canceled due to "woke crap," stating that such interpretations perpetuate a "lie" and use a "political smoke screen to justify the indefensible." He reminded followers that Barr herself had deemed her comments "indefensible" and that justifying such remarks can lead to "real consequences."

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He emphasized that dehumanizing people is never a joke and highlighted the responsibility that comes with freedom of speech. Fishman also expressed affection for Barr, acknowledging that "good people make mistakes," but reiterated that her comments caused "damage and dehumanizing and perpetuating racial tropes," leading to real-world harm.

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ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey had described Barr's tweets as "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values" when the show was canceled. Valerie Jarrett, the target of Barr's remarks, had stated that the network made the correct decision and suggested turning the situation into a "teaching moment."

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Following the cancellation of "Roseanne," ABC developed "The Conners," featuring the original cast except for Barr, whose character was written out of the series. "The Conners" aired for seven seasons, concluding in 2025.