In a recent interview, Laurie Metcalf opened up about her current relationship with former co-star Roseanne Barr, revealing that they haven't spoken since the end of the 2018 Roseanne reboot. Metcalf, 70, addressed the topic candidly during a conversation with The New Yorker on Monday, April 27, stating, “There’s nothing controversial. We just haven’t spoken since we said goodbye at the end of the reboot.” The disclosure comes years after the revival's abrupt cancellation, which thrust the cast into the spotlight amid widespread controversy.
The original Roseanne sitcom, which aired on ABC from 1988 to 1997, chronicled the everyday struggles of the working-class Conner family in the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. Barr, now 73, portrayed the outspoken matriarch Roseanne Conner, while John Goodman, 73, played her husband, Dan Conner. The ensemble also featured Metcalf as Roseanne's sister, Jackie Harris, and Sara Gilbert as their daughter, Darlene Conner, alongside Lecy Goranson as Becky Conner and Michael Fishman as D.J. Conner. The show was celebrated for its realistic depiction of blue-collar life, earning critical acclaim and a loyal audience during its initial nine-season run.
After more than two decades off the air, ABC revived the series in 2018, bringing back much of the original cast to explore contemporary issues facing the Conner family in a post-recession America. The reboot premiered on March 27, 2018, and quickly drew strong ratings, averaging around 13 million viewers per episode in its early weeks. However, the revival lasted only nine episodes before it was unceremoniously canceled on May 29, 2018, following a series of inflammatory social media posts by Barr.
Barr's tweets, which included a racially insensitive comparison of a former Obama administration official to an ape, ignited immediate backlash from viewers, advocacy groups, and industry leaders. ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey announced the network's decision to cancel the show that same day, releasing a statement that read, “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values.” The swift action underscored Hollywood's growing intolerance for public figures espousing divisive rhetoric, particularly in the era of heightened social media scrutiny.
In the wake of the cancellation, Barr issued a public apology on Twitter, now known as X, acknowledging the harm caused by her words and attributing them to Ambien use, though the pharmaceutical company rejected that explanation. ABC responded by scrubbing all references to the Roseanne revival from its press materials and website. Viacom, which syndicated reruns of the original series, also pulled episodes from its channels, including Paramount Network and TV Land, effectively halting broadcasts across its portfolio.
Despite the fallout, Barr expressed remorse toward her co-stars in a tweet shortly after the cancellation. She wrote, “I just wish ABC had not thrown two of the greatest actors in the world out with me — Laurie and John. I’m so sick over this — they will never have better character actors on their network.” The message highlighted Barr's affection for Metcalf and Goodman, even as she grappled with the professional repercussions of her actions.
Metcalf, who had portrayed Jackie for nearly three decades across the original series and reboot, later shared in a 2018 interview with People magazine that she and Gilbert had attempted to reach out to Barr in the immediate aftermath. “We reached out to her, but we haven’t heard back yet,” Metcalf said at the time, reflecting the emotional strain on the cast. Gilbert, who also served as an executive producer on the revival, echoed the difficulty of the situation in the recent New Yorker piece, noting, “We’d all had a personal relationship with Roseanne, and it was just not an easy decision for Laurie, or any of us.”
The cancellation paved the way for The Conners, a spinoff that premiered on ABC on October 16, 2018, without Barr's involvement. The series retained the core cast, including Metcalf, Goodman, Gilbert, Goranson, and Fishman, and shifted focus to the Conner family's life following Roseanne's off-screen death from an opioid overdose—a narrative choice that mirrored broader national conversations about the opioid crisis. The Conners ran for seven seasons, concluding its final episode on April 17, 2025, after 137 episodes in total.
Throughout its run, The Conners occasionally referenced Barr's character, Roseanne Conner, in ways that acknowledged her absence without delving into the real-life controversy. For instance, episodes explored the family's grief and adaptation, but the show largely moved forward with new storylines involving economic hardships, family dynamics, and social issues. The series maintained solid viewership, though it never quite matched the reboot's premiere hype, averaging around 6-8 million viewers per season according to Nielsen ratings.
Barr, meanwhile, has remained vocal about her estrangement from the project. In a February 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times, she explained her decision to avoid watching The Conners, saying, “I just can’t bear it, so I don’t [watch]. When they killed my character off, that was a message to me, knowing that I’m mentally ill or have mental health issues, that they did want me to commit suicide.” She added a sharper tone, continuing, “They killed my character. … And all of that was to say thank you for bringing 28 million viewers, which they never had before and will never see again. Because they can kiss my ass.” Barr's comments underscored her lingering bitterness over the character's demise and the spinoff's success without her.
Metcalf's recent remarks to The New Yorker suggest a quiet acceptance of the distance between her and Barr. At 70, Metcalf has continued a prolific career, earning Tony Awards for her Broadway work and Emmy nominations for roles in shows like The McCarthys and Grace and Frankie. Her reflection on the Roseanne saga appears to close a chapter, emphasizing the finality of their professional parting rather than any ongoing rift.
The broader implications of the 2018 controversy extend beyond the Conner family, highlighting the entertainment industry's evolving standards on accountability. Networks like ABC faced pressure to align with cultural shifts, particularly regarding racism and public discourse. The decision to pivot to The Conners not only preserved jobs for the cast but also allowed the storyline to evolve, addressing themes like healthcare, labor rights, and family resilience in a changing America.
As The Conners wraps up its run, questions linger about potential future projects for the ensemble. Gilbert has hinted at interest in stage work, while Goodman continues to balance television with film roles. Metcalf, ever the versatile performer, shows no signs of slowing down. For Barr, who has since launched her own podcast and stand-up tours, the door to mainstream network television remains firmly shut, at least for now.
The saga of Roseanne and its aftermath serves as a case study in how personal actions can ripple through professional legacies. While Metcalf and her co-stars have moved forward, Barr's perspective reveals unresolved pain. As fans bid farewell to the Conners in 2025, the real-life dynamics among the actors underscore the human element behind the fiction.
Looking ahead, industry observers speculate on whether reconciliation is possible, though Metcalf's words indicate it's unlikely. The entertainment landscape continues to grapple with similar issues, from social media missteps to calls for inclusivity, ensuring that stories like this one remain relevant in Hollywood's ongoing narrative.