Roseanne Barr's Son Speaks Out Against "Roseanne" Cast Over Show Cancellation

In a surprising turn of events, Roseanne Barr's son, Jake Pentland, has accused the cast of the hit sitcom "Roseanne" of conspiring to take the show from his mother during her 2018 social media controversy. Pentland's comments come after Michael Fishman, who played D.J. Conner in both the original and reboot series, stated that the show was "rightfully cancelled" due to Barr's tweets.

Speaking to TMZ on Wednesday, Pentland argued that while he understands his mother's tweets were controversial, she was unfairly targeted. According to the outlet, Pentland believes cast members took Barr's comments out of context and worked together to end the show's reboot. Furthermore, Pentland claims the cast failed to ask Barr for clarification and prevented her from publicly defending herself.

Roseanne Barr's infamous tweet in 2018 compared former President Barack Obama's advisor, Valerie Jarrett, to an "ape," leading to immediate backlash. Despite claiming she was under the influence of Ambien, ABC swiftly cancelled the reboot after just one season. In a 2018 interview with Sean Hannity, Barr clarified that her tweets were about questioning the Iran deal, which Jarrett was involved in.

Barr later apologized for the controversy, acknowledging that her words had caused hurt. "When you hurt people even unwillingly, there's no excuse," she said, expressing regret and remorse. Despite the controversy, the spin-off series "The Conners" continued for seven seasons before ending in 2025. In a recent Instagram reel, Fishman expressed frustration over continued defensive comments regarding Barr's past behavior.

He stated that turning the other cheek no longer seemed effective and accused people of justifying Barr's actions politically. Fishman further criticized those who used the controversy as a smokescreen, stating that such justifications lead to real consequences and crimes. He concluded by emphasizing that dehumanizing people is never a joke and that the show was indeed rightfully cancelled.

As of yet, neither Pentland nor representatives for ABC have responded to Page Six's requests for comment. The ongoing debate highlights the complexities surrounding freedom of speech, public apologies, and the impact of social media on celebrity careers.