EXCLUSIVE: Roseanne Barr's TV Son Slams Her Over Offensive Valerie Jarrett Post
Roseanne Barr's TV son Michael Fishman has slammed her Valerie Jarrett post and says words have consequences.
Sept. 9 2026, Updated 7:30 a.m. ET
Roseanne Barr's TV son has dropped a huge diss on his sitcom mom, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Michael Fishman, who played D.J. Conner on the funny-lady's self-named series, insisted the show's 2018 revival was "rightfully canceled" after Barr caused an uproar with an offensive joke.
Fishman Slams 'Political Smokescreen' Over Barr Firing
Michael Fishman said the 'Roseanne' revival was rightfully canceled after Roseanne Barr's offensive tweet.
In a biting video message, the 44-year-old batted down a claim in an Instagram post that political correctness killed the show – and "America decided to backstab" Barr.
Fishman said he'd been fielding similar comments for years – and he'd decided to set the record straight. "We are perpetuating a lie and people are using a political smoke screen to justify the indefensible," he said.
The brouhaha began when Barr posted a tweet comparing former President Barack Obama's adviser Valerie Jarrett to an "ape." The tweet was quickly deleted, but Barr – who later claimed she didn't know Jarrett was Black and she'd been taking the sleep medication Ambien – was fired from the Barr reboot.
The Instagram post that defended Barr said she "got flack for remaining to be an edgy comedian," adding she'd "already said more egregious jokes and nobody batted an eye before.
Fishman Defends Decision to Cancel 'Roseanne'
Jake Pentland claimed the sitcom's cast conspired to take the show from his mother.
In his video, Fishman said he's fielded "these kinds of ignorant and inaccurate comments daily... for over eight years," adding: "Usually, I don't respond." But he'd decided "turning the other cheek is really not helping."
He pointed out Barr herself called her comment "indefensible," and added, "dehumanizing people is never a joke. So, sadly, in this case, there was no joke. And the show was rightfully canceled."
In response, Barr's son Jake Pentland told TMZ the sitcom's cast "conspired to take Roseanne's show from her after taking her social media post out of context."
'Roseanne' Legacy Continued With 'The Conners'
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ABC launched 'The Conners' with John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert reprising their roles.
Shortly after the cancellation, ABC ordered a spin-off titled The Conners, with Fishman, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert and others reprising their Roseanne roles. Barr's character was killed off due to an opioid overdose.
Roseanne aired from 1988 to 1997 and returned in 2018. The Conners ran from 2018 to 2025.
