Laurie Metcalf Finally Breaks Silence on Her Last Conversation With Roseanne After the Scandal

Laurie Metcalf just gave a clear, non-dramatic update on where things stand between her and Roseanne Barr. Short version: no feud, no reunion, just radio silence since the revival imploded.

Where things stand now

Talking to The New Yorker on Monday, April 27, Metcalf, 70, said she and Barr have not spoken since the end of the 2018 reboot run. She kept it simple:

"There’s nothing controversial. We just haven’t spoken since we said goodbye at the end of the reboot."

Her former costar Sara Gilbert backed that up in the same piece, saying everyone had their own personal history with Barr and the choice to move forward without her was rough across the board, including for Metcalf.

Quick rewind

• Original series: 'Roseanne' ran on ABC from 1988 to 1997, following the working-class Conner family. Roseanne Barr, now 73, led as Roseanne Conner; John Goodman, 73, played husband Dan. The family lineup: sister Jackie (Metcalf), and kids Darlene (Gilbert), Becky (Lecy Goranson), and D.J. (Michael Fishman).
• 2018 revival and collapse: ABC revived 'Roseanne' in 2018, then axed it after Barr posted racially insensitive tweets. ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey called Barr’s comments "abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values." ABC scrubbed the revival from its press site, and Viacom pulled 'Roseanne' reruns from all of its channels.
• Barr’s public note to her castmates: After the cancellation, Barr went on X to praise Metcalf and Goodman: "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."
• Attempts to reconnect: Later in 2018, Metcalf told People that she and Gilbert had reached out to Barr but hadn’t heard back yet.
• What came next: ABC retooled the show as 'The Conners' without Barr. It ran seven seasons, frequently referenced Roseanne Conner by name, and ended with a 2025 series finale. Barr never returned on screen.

Barr’s reaction to 'The Conners'

In February 2023, Barr told the Los Angeles Times she doesn’t watch 'The Conners' because she can’t handle it. She argued that killing off Roseanne Conner sent a cruel message to her, citing her own mental health struggles, and closed her thoughts with a blunt kiss-off to the show’s success without her.

The bottom line

All the noise aside, Metcalf’s update is surprisingly straightforward. No secret beef, no quiet reconciliation. She and Barr said goodbye at the end of the 2018 reboot, the franchise moved on without its namesake, and that’s where it’s stayed.