Roseanne Barr Gets Brutally Candid About Being Killed Off The Conners

Roseanne Barr bluntly reveals how she feels about her character getting killed off in The Conners as she promotes her upcoming comedy special.

As she prepares for her upcoming comedy special, Roseanne Barr bluntly responds to her character getting killed off in The Conners. It was a big deal when Roseanne was revived for season 10 in 2018, with Barr and much of the original cast reprising their roles. But the reunion was short-lived. Once she’d tweeted racist conspiracy theories, in which she also referred to former political advisor Valerie Jarrett as the offspring of Planet of the Apes, a public controversy ensued. Barr attempted a public apology, but ABC ultimately decided to cancel Roseanne and continue the story as The Conners spinoff, following the titular, dysfunctional family as they attempted to move on from the death of their matriarch.

The spinoff has since moved beyond that setup, but as she prepares to make a comeback with a comedy special, Barr spoke to the Los Angeles Times and was asked about whether she watches The Conners. Barr doesn’t hold back in her response, saying her character being killed off was a “message” to her. In the quote, which can be read below, she also takes a swipe at the show’s ratings:

No. I just can’t bear it, so I don’t. When they killed my character off, that was a message to me, knowing that I’m mentally ill or have mental health issues, that they did want me to commit suicide. They killed my character, and my character. And all of that was to say thank you for bringing 28 million viewers, which they never had before and will never see again. Because they can kiss my a—.

Related: The Conners Season 5 Episode 12’s Roseanne Joke Was Bleak (But Accurate)

How The Conners Killed Off Roseanne

In dealing with the death of the former main character, The Conners began its run three weeks after the funeral of Roseanne Conner. Although it’s at first believed she might’ve died of a heart attack, it’s later revealed she passed away as the result of an opioid overdose. She kept taking pills, even after getting surgery, and it takes the family time to get over their sense of shock and betrayal. These days, well into season 5, Dan, Roseanne’s husband, has moved on with Louise. But his old life still gets mentioned often.

In one of the more surprising jokes, back during The Conners season 4, there’s a brief scene in which the family gets rid of its old furniture by burning it. As they watch the flames engulf their former bedroom set, Dan makes a passing remark about how the Vikings would send their belongings to the heavens by setting a fire. This leads Becky, Roseanne’s daughter, to hit back with a punchline: “And if it goes the other way, Mom gets her furniture back!”

There’s a case to be made the joke is actually the perfect tribute to Roseanne, which was biting in its humor, something The Conners largely maintains. Or it could be a bit of reality seeping into the script. Either way, it seems like that bluntness, at least from Barr’s side, is just as true off-screen.

More: The Conners Pulled Off Perfect Reunion For Another Family Comedy

Source: LA Times