Roseanne Barr Claims The Conners Offered Ghost Role After Firing

Roseanne Barr revealed in her documentary "Roseanne Barr Is America" that she was asked by producers to return as a guest star on the spin-off series "The Conners" after her character was killed off. She expressed outrage at the request, feeling the show had been stolen from her and that the offer to appear as a ghost was insulting, especially given ABC canceled the revival of "Roseanne" following her controversial social media posts. Barr originally co-created and starred in "Roseanne" from 1988 to 1997, and the 2018 revival was canceled after she made a tweet comparing Valerie Jarrett to an ape, which ABC condemned as abhorrent and inconsistent with their values. "The Conners" continued without her character, who was written offscreen as having died from an accidental opioid overdose linked to chronic pain and lack of healthcare access. Barr shared that she could not watch the spin-off and interpreted the killing off of her character as a message related to her mental health struggles. Despite the show's continuation with original cast members like John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Sara Gilbert, Barr declined to participate, humorously stating she would be bowling that week instead.