Once the heart and soul of one of America’s most iconic television couples, Roseanne Barr and John Goodman now find themselves worlds apart—separated not only by time and scandal, but by silence. Their on-screen chemistry as Roseanne and Dan Conner captured the spirit of working-class America for decades, but behind the scenes, the bond that once seemed unbreakable has quietly eroded. Over half a decade after a racism scandal upended Barr’s career and led to the abrupt cancellation of the rebooted Roseanne, Goodman has confirmed that the two are no longer in contact.
In a candid interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published June 11, John Goodman opened up about the distance between him and his former co-star. “We haven’t talked for about seven or eight years,” he said. When asked whether he’d like to reconnect, Goodman replied softly, “I’d rather doubt if she wants to talk to me.”
The revelation may be surprising to longtime fans who still associate the pair with the unwavering support and unfiltered banter of the Conner marriage. But like many real-life relationships shaped by controversy, television contracts, and public fallout, the silence speaks volumes.
For almost a decade beginning in 1988, Roseanne was more than just a sitcom—it was a cultural landmark. It broke the mold by portraying a blue-collar family with raw authenticity, tackling real-life issues like unemployment, parenting struggles, healthcare, and domestic tension. At the center of it all were Roseanne and Dan Conner—played with undeniable chemistry by Barr and Goodman.
Their on-screen relationship wasn’t glossy or idealized. It was loud, messy, complicated, and deeply loving—just like real life. Their ability to bounce off one another, to go from laughter to bickering to mutual support within a single scene, made them one of the most beloved couples in TV history.
Off-screen, their relationship also appeared solid. Goodman frequently praised Barr for her comedic genius and trailblazing vision, and the cast enjoyed a rare camaraderie that withstood the pressures of success and fame. So when the show made its triumphant return in 2018, more than 20 years after its original run, the excitement was palpable.
But the revival’s success was short-lived. Just months after the new Roseanne premiered to record-breaking viewership, Barr made a now-infamous tweet about former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett. In her post, Barr likened Jarrett, a Black woman, to an ape—an act widely condemned as racist.
The fallout was swift and unforgiving. ABC wasted no time in canceling the show, releasing a statement calling Barr’s tweet “abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values.” Roseanne Barr, once a feminist trailblazer and comedic icon, was now ostracized from the very industry she helped revolutionize.
For John Goodman, who had just stepped back into the familiar rhythm of playing Dan Conner, the situation was emotionally complicated. “I felt bad for her,” he told Variety in a 2023 interview. “At the time I remember going to some kind of junket where they saw the pilot, and then the interviews, and it just turned into attack. And that made me very uncomfortable with them just attacking Roseanne.”
Despite the whirlwind of criticism, Goodman stood by Barr publicly, saying, “I know for a fact that she’s not a racist.” His defense was notable—not just because it came at a time when nearly everyone else was distancing themselves from her, but because it underscored the depth of their shared history. He wasn’t excusing her behavior, but rather expressing his pain and disbelief over seeing someone he loved be reduced to a headline.
When ABC canceled Roseanne, it seemed like the end. But in an unusual move, the network decided to salvage what they could by creating a spinoff series: The Conners. The show retained nearly the entire cast—except Barr—and continued the story of the working-class family, now grappling with the fictional death of matriarch Roseanne.
Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Sara Gilbert returned to lead the show. For Goodman, the transition was bittersweet. “I didn’t think [the reboot] was going to go beyond the initial five or six episodes,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought it’d be a one-off thing, and then we got picked up, and Roseanne got fired … then we got to do the show again as The Conners.”
While the new show was met with cautious optimism and even critical praise, some fans viewed it as a betrayal. Could the heart of the Conner family truly survive without Roseanne? And for Goodman, did continuing the series without his longtime co-star feel like moving on—or moving away?
Despite any personal turmoil, Goodman continued working on The Conners until its final season wrapped in April 2024. “I didn’t know how long it would last, but I sure enjoyed it while I was there,” he said. But the unspoken weight of the fallout—what was lost and what couldn’t be repaired—seemed to linger in his words.
In the six or seven years since they last spoke, there’s been no public feud, no Twitter wars, no dramatic interviews between Goodman and Barr. Instead, there’s been quiet. And for longtime fans, that silence might be the most heartbreaking aspect of all.
Goodman’s comment—“I’d rather doubt if she wants to talk to me”—hints at a subtle sadness. Not anger. Not resentment. Just the ache of knowing that a once-close bond may now be irreparably broken.
And for her part, Barr has continued to court controversy, aligning herself with far-right ideologies, dabbling in conspiracy theories, and insisting she was unfairly canceled. In her eyes, she was the victim of a political witch hunt—while to many others, she was simply held accountable for her own words.
As Goodman once said, “She’s just her own person.” And perhaps that’s what ultimately divided them. What made them such a compelling on-screen couple—the tension between chaos and calm, unfiltered and grounded—may also have made reconciliation impossible.
What becomes of a creative partnership that was once so cherished but now lives only in reruns and memories? For Goodman, the answer may lie in acceptance. He has chosen to stay mostly quiet on the matter, speaking only when asked and choosing his words carefully. His affection for Barr is evident, but so is his recognition that time has changed them both.
“I love her,” he told Variety. “We had a great time.”
It’s a simple sentiment, but one that carries the full weight of history. Because behind every scandal is a story about people—flawed, complicated, and human. And behind the rise and fall of Roseanne is the quieter story of two actors who once made magic together, only to find themselves drifting apart in a world that no longer resembles the one they built.
As of today, John Goodman continues to work steadily, still beloved in Hollywood circles for his warm demeanor and depth of talent. He has appeared in acclaimed films and TV shows, and has largely avoided controversy throughout his career.
Roseanne Barr, on the other hand, has become something of a cultural outlier. After her dismissal, she retreated from mainstream entertainment and embraced a more radical online presence. She’s given interviews where she lashes out at cancel culture, insists she was set up, and portrays herself as a truth-teller silenced by liberal elites.
Though they were once on the same path, the divergence in their careers—and their lives—is stark.
At its core, the story of Roseanne Barr and John Goodman is not about scandal or cancellation. It’s about the painful, gradual erosion of a relationship that once felt bigger than TV itself. It’s about how even the strongest creative bonds can bend under the weight of controversy. And it’s about how, sometimes, people who once felt like family grow too far apart to find their way back.
But the legacy of their work remains. No matter where their lives go from here, Roseanne—in its original form—will remain a time capsule of American life in all its rawness and humor. And Dan and Roseanne Conner will live on, frozen in reruns, where their bickering love story still feels as real today as it did 30 years ago.
As Goodman quietly steps away from that chapter, and Barr continues her defiant journey outside the mainstream, fans are left to wonder: Is there ever truly a final scene when it comes to relationships like theirs? Or is it just an unresolved script, left open-ended, waiting for a rewrite that may never come?
Only time will tell.