Michael Fishman defends 2018 cancellation of "Roseanne" reboot

Former "Roseanne" child star Michael Fishman, who played DJ Conner, posted an Instagram reel on Monday defending the 2018 cancellation of the sitcom’s reboot. He argued that the show was rightly axed after Roseanne Barr’s series of offensive tweets, including a post that compared former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett to an "ape." Fishman said he receives similar “ignorant and inaccurate” comments daily and, after eight years of staying silent, felt compelled to speak out.

"We are perpetuating a lie, and people are using a political smokescreen to justify the indefensible," he said, referencing Barr’s apology at the time. Fishman added that dehumanizing language can lead to real-world consequences, citing recent deaths of Black Americans as examples. He emphasized that while comedians have freedom of expression, they also bear responsibility for the impact of their words. The controversy led ABC to cancel the reboot before a second season and retool the series as "The Conners," which ran for seven seasons without Barr. A spokesperson for Barr did not respond to requests for comment. The actor concluded by urging people to refrain from sharing hateful remarks, noting that “words have consequences.”