According to an unnamed source,Roseannestar Roseanne Barr’s claims that she was asked to reprise her role inThe Connersare"inaccurate." The Connerskilled off Roseanne Barr’sheroineRoseanne in the show’s pilot episode after Barr went on a racistTwittertirade and was fired from the series.The Conners’ large cast of charactersmeant that the family sitcom never struggled to replace Barr’s character, since the show could focus on the storylines of Dan, Jackie, Becky, Darlene, DJ, and Darlene’s children, Mark and Harris.
Despite this, Barr claimed in her 2025 documentary “Roseanne is America” that the show’s creators asked her to return and play Roseanne’s ghost due to flagging ratings.The Conners’ ratings were relatively consistentthroughout the show’s later seasons, but Barr stated that the spinoff’s creators wanted her to play Roseanne’s ghost. However, a source forTVLinetold the site that these claims were “inaccurate,” while Barr declined to comment.
Roseanne Barr’s Claims That She Was Asked To Return To The Conners Are Contested
TVLine’s Unnamed Source Says The Claims Are “Inaccurate”
TVLine’s source claimed that Barr’s version of events was“inaccurate,”while Barr’s representative declined to tell the site when exactly Barr was invited to return to the show. This very writer noted thatRoseanne’s ghost appearing inThe Connersseason 7was a possibility since the sitcom franchise was wrapping up a four-decade run. However, sinceThe Connerswas a grounded, relatively realistic sitcom that featured fewer dream sequences, fantasy segues, and self-referential gags thanRoseanne’s original run, it is hard to imagine how the show would have pulled this off.
Barr’s comments saw her claim that, due to dwindling ratings, the spinoff’s creators asked her to return to the role of Roseanne. However, per her version of events, Barr was insulted by the thought of playing a ghost and turned them down.It is unclear whether the creators ofThe Connersoffered Roseanne a chance to reprise her most famous role, although the manydropped storylines ofThe Connersseason 7do prove that the trajectory of the series was hardly predictable.
Our Take On Roseanne Barr’s Rumored Return To The Conners
Roseanne Barr’s Appearance In The Series Would Never Have Worked
Whether or not Barr was asked to reprise her role in the show, Roseanne’s return would never have worked inThe Conners. The tone of the series was too grounded for this twist to work, and bringing back Roseanne would have undone all the poignancy of the family’s reaction to her death.
The Connersbringing backRoseanne’s heroine would never have been a good idea, whether or not the show’s creators asked Barr to come back.
Roseanne’s death shaped the storylines of Jackie, Dan, and Becky throughout the first three seasons ofThe Conners, forcing Becky to face her addiction and leading Dan to meet Louise. As such, The Connersbringing backRoseanne’s heroine would never have been a good idea, whether or not the show’s creators asked Barr to come back.
