John Goodman Breaks Silence: ‘I Haven’t Spoken to Roseanne in 8 Years

Their on-screen magic once lit up America — but behind the scenes, things have gone silent.

After years of keeping quiet, John Goodman is finally opening up about the state of his relationship with his former Roseanne co-star Roseanne Barr — and the emotional distance between them is deeper than fans may have realized.

In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 73-year-old actor revealed that he hasn’t spoken to Barr, now 72, “for about seven or eight years.” And while the public fallout between Barr and ABC in 2018 made headlines, Goodman’s latest comments shed new light on how it affected their personal connection.

“I’d rather doubt if she wants to talk to me,” Goodman said candidly of his former on-screen wife.

Once TV Royalty, Now Distant Strangers

Goodman and Barr were once one of television’s most iconic duos. Together, they led Roseanne, a cultural phenomenon that gave voice to working-class America and pulled in 20 to 30 million viewers during its heyday.

“We hit it off from jump street,” Goodman recalled. “She made me laugh, and I made her laugh, and wow, it was so much fun.”

But that era came to a dramatic end.

Roseanne originally aired on ABC for nine seasons from 1988 to 1997 and returned for a much-anticipated 10th season in 2018. However, the show’s revival was short-lived after Barr posted a controversial tweet comparing Valerie Jarrett, a former advisor to President Barack Obama, to an ape.

ABC immediately canceled the show.

“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values,” said ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey at the time.

From Roseanne to The Conners – Without Roseanne

In the wake of the controversy, ABC reimagined the show without its title character. The result was The Conners, a spinoff series that kept most of the original cast — including Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Sara Gilbert — but wrote out Roseanne Barr’s character by killing her off from an opioid overdose.

Despite the rocky restart, The Conners found its own audience and lasted seven successful seasons, airing from 2018 through 2025.

“It’s Something I’m Going to Miss”

As The Conners wrapped up its final season, Goodman reflected on the journey and the emotions of saying goodbye — again.

“It’s really hard,” he shared with PEOPLE. “It’s something I’m going to miss for a while. I’m old and resistant to change.”

The actor admitted that the experience flew by:

“It seems like it was two weeks ago that we got this together. It went by so fast.”

Why the Conners Still Mattered

So why did Roseanne, and later The Conners, strike such a powerful chord with American audiences across multiple generations?

Goodman believes it all comes down to relatability.

“It focused on a normal family that’s really been up against it. And a lot of people in this country have been up against it for a long time,” he said.

It was that sense of realism — the unfiltered depiction of family, struggle, humor, and heart — that made the show more than just entertainment. It became a reflection of everyday life for millions.

A Bittersweet Ending

While the Roseanne universe continues to hold a special place in pop culture, the silence between its original stars remains a somber note in its legacy. Though John Goodman remains respectful and nostalgic about the show’s early days, his words carry a quiet sadness — the kind that only comes when once-close collaborators grow apart.

And for fans hoping for a reconciliation, Goodman’s gentle honesty says it all:

“I doubt if she wants to talk to me.”