The stars of Roseanne are no strangers to controversy, and now Michael Fishman is apologizing over the latest behind-the-scenes drama. On Instagram, Fishman addressed feud with Roseanne Barr. After saying, back in August, that the show’s 2018 reboot “was rightfully cancelled” over a racist remark made by Barr, Fishman was called a “brainwashed bigot” and “a [expletive] little worm” by Barr on the Can’t Be Censored podcast.
“I’ve heard from a lot of you [that you] feel like your TV family is fighting,” Fishman says in the video shared to his Instagram. “I had the privilege of growing up with so many of you or around so many of you. And the truth is, I’m gonna keep pushing out love and light because it’s the path that I’ve chosen over the years.”
“Our show has been a comfort show for you. So I want you to know we’re not going to ruin it,” he continued. “I’m going to do whatever I can to uphold that legacy and make sure it stays with you.” He further stated that “the show meant something to me as a kid,” and “it became even more real afterward.”
Fishman portrayed Barr’s fictional son D.J. Conner for 10 seasons on the original Roseanne show. When the 2018 reboot premiered, he returned to the role and continued into the show’s spin-off, The Conners. Meanwhile, Barr, after posting a racist tweet about former President Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett, was fired from the Roseanne reboot and was not invited back to the spin-off. The Conners addressed Barr’s absence by having her character die off-screen. Barr has been vocal about her displeasure with this turn of events for years, and her latest comments are just the latest in a long line of grievances.