John Goodman doesn't regret speaking up for Roseanne Barr after racist tweet: 'I felt bad for her'

John Goodman doesn't regret speaking up for his longtime friend and costar Roseanne Barr after the comedian's hit series Rosanne was canceled in 2018 after she posted a racist tweet.

At the Monte-Carlo Television Festival this week, where he served as president of the fiction jury, Goodman addressed the controversy during an interview with Variety.

When asked if he regrets defending her, Goodman stood by his decision. "No. I remember attending some kind of junket where they saw the pilot, and then the interviews, and it just turned into an attack," he said. "It made me really uncomfortable witnessing them go after Roseanne."

He continued, "Yeah, I felt bad for her. And then, yeah... I just feel terrible about the whole thing. You know, we had a great time. And I love her. She's just her own person."

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty John Goodman

Goodman's original comments were shared with the U.K. newspaper The Times after ABC axed the Rosanne reboot after Barr sent a tweet likening former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to an "ape."

Barr apologized, but it was too late. Upon the series' cancellation, ABC's entertainment president, Channing Dungey, said in a statement that "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values."

Following the network's decision, the show was retooled as The Conners, with the rest of the Roseanne reboot's cast staying on it.

"I'll put it this way, I was surprised at the response," Goodman said at the time. "And that's probably all I should say about it." He did add, however, "I know for a fact that she's not a racist."

Despite his support of Barr, Goodman told Variety that he's unsure that he would work with her again.

"I don't know," he replied when asked about a possible collaboration in the future. "If she'd like to... I just don't know. I miss her. I wish her well."

Reflecting on the success of the blue-collar comedies Roseanne and The Conners, Goodman noted that the cast and crew offered a part of American life that is seldom depicted on TV.

"I think a lot of people connected with the struggle of living paycheck to paycheck. And we try to handle it with humor," he said. "Roseanne said something very early in the process: 'Just because we're poor doesn't make us stupid.' I believe that sentiment resonates throughout the series. It's a struggle that's addressed with humor."

Vera Anderson/WireImage Roseanne Barr

Roseanne originally aired from 1988 to 1997,  focusing on the working-class Conner family in the fictional town of Landford, Ill. While on the air, it was one of the most popular shows on television. The reboot premiered in 2018.

The Connors continued despite Barr's dismissal from the series, maintaining impressive ratings and a loyal fanbase. It was renewed for a sixth season last month.

Barr's tweet has continued to spark fervent debate, with Barr recently lambasting her onscreen daughter Sara Gilbert, maintaining she "stabbed" her in the back and "repeatedly twisted it" after she publicly condemned Barr's tweet, calling it "abhorrent" and not a reflection of the "cast and crew or anyone associated with our show."

"It was her tweet that canceled the show," Barr said of Gilbert. "And then she tweeted, 'It's sad when one cast member,' something about racist, blah, blah. And I was floored. I was just floored… but she ends up owning my work."

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Related content:

• Roseanne Barr says former costar Sara Gilbert 'stabbed me in the back' and 'repeatedly twisted it'

• Roseanne Barr admits in interview that ABC asked her to get off Twitter

• Roseanne's Sara Gilbert speaks out after cancellation: 'A lot of people have been hurt'

• Whoopi Goldberg set to guest-star on The Conners