Michael Fishman has spent a lot of his life tied to the Conner family. He was 7 when he started playing D.J. on Roseanne, returned for the 2018 revival and later carried the character into The Conners. So when fans tell him that the latest very public fight between him and his former TV mom feels a little like watching their own family argue, he seems to understand why. After Roseanne publicly called him some very unflattering things, the actor vows to keep "pushing."
In a new Instagram video, Fishman responded to fans after Roseanne Barr unleashed a profanity-heavy response to comments he made about the 2018 cancellation of Roseanne. Barr called her former onscreen son a “fucking little worm” and a “brainwashed bigot” during an appearance on the Can’t Be Censored podcast. He has now returned to social media with a much calmer message for fans who want Mom and D.J. to stop fighting. He explained what he plans to do next:
I had the privilege of growing up with so many of you or around so many of you. And the truth is, I’m gonna keep pushing out love and light because it’s the path that I’ve chosen over the years.
The longtime sitcom actor also told fans he understands that Roseanne has been a comfort show for many of them, and promised to do what he can to protect that legacy. That distinction seems important to the Undrafted star. He has been very critical of Barr’s comments while remaining proud of the series they made together.
This whole thing resurfaced after Fishman spoke about the Barr controversy in August. He said he was still receiving “daily” messages about the fallout and defended ABC’s decision to cancel the 2018 revival after Barr’s racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. He said at the time that the show was “rightfully canceled,” while also saying he still had love and compassion for Barr. She did not return that sentiment gently.
During her podcast appearance, Barr dropped a whole lot of F-bombs while responding to Fishman. Along with calling him a “little fucking worm,” she told him to keep her name out of his mouth and claimed she had been responsible for getting him brought back for the revival, only for her character to be killed off in The Conners.
The A Lighthouse in the Dark actor initially said he didn't need to engage with “obvious lies or name calling.” He also said he had reached out to Barr immediately after the 2018 tweet and never abandoned her personally, even though he strongly disagreed with what she had said. Now he seems ready to stop feeding the fight altogether.
That is probably easier said than done when your former TV mom is discussing you on podcasts and strangers are still filling your social feeds eight years after the controversy began. Still, Fishman appears determined to separate his relationship with Barr from what Roseanne meant to viewers.
The original sitcom, considered one of the greatest of all time, ended decades ago, and The Conners wrapped its seven-season run in 2025. Yet apparently the Conner family can still generate some very real family drama. Fishman just seems determined to make sure the next thing he contributes to it is a little less angry.
