Joshua Goldman
Joshua Goldman
min read · June 11, 2025 · Entertainment

Roseanne Barr Furious Over Ghost Role Offer After ABC Canceled 'Roseanne'

Roseanne Barr 's new documentary Roseanne Is America debuted on Tuesday, where she revealed how ABC asked her back on The Conners after she was killed off.

ROSEANNE BARR SPILLS THE TEA ON HER ABC EXILE: "THEY WANTED ME TO COME BACK AS A GHOST"

In a shocking revelation, Roseanne Barr is spilling all the tea on her highly publicized falling out with ABC in a brand new documentary, "Roseanne Is America". The 72-year-old comedienne's explosive tell-all has left fans of the iconic sitcom stunned, as she dishes on the network's attempts to bring her back into the fold.

As you may recall, ABC revived Roseanne's original show, which originally ran from 1988 to 1997, in 2018 with a tenth season. However, the revival was short-lived after Barr sparked outrage by tweeting that Valerie Jarrett, former advisor to Barack Obama, looked like an "ape". The network promptly canceled the show and replaced it with "The Conners", a spin-off that killed off Roseanne's character due to an opioid overdose.

ABC brought the show back for a 10th season in 2018, and while it was renewed for an 11th, the network quickly reversed their decision after Barr tweeted that former Barack Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett was an 'ape'

But in "Roseanne Is America", Barr reveals that ABC actually wanted her back as a "ghost" guest star at some point during "The Conners"' run. Can you imagine? According to Barr, the network reached out and asked her if she'd be interested in making a cameo appearance, but only as a spectral presence.

"I said, 'You're asking me to come back to the show that you fing stole from me and killed my a, and now you want me to show up because you got st fing ratings and play a ghost?' I mean, what kind of respect do they have for me? Do they think I'm some kind of magic genie who can just pop in and out of the show whenever they need a ratings boost?"

Barr's scathing rebuke is only one of many juicy tidbits revealed in the documentary. Another bombshell dropped by the comedienne is her revelation that ABC's decision to kill off Roseanne's character was eerily reminiscent of the real-life death of Glenn Quinn, who played Becky Conner's husband Mark Healy on the original show.

'They called me and asked me if I would like to come back as a guest star. You're coming back as a ghost,' Barr revealed.

"Glenn Quinn died from an accidental overdose in 2002, and within three weeks, they revived the show as 'The Conners', and of course, they killed off my character Roseanne in an opioid overdose. It was staggering because it felt like they were trying to recreate his death or something."

Barr's documentary also delves into the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding her exit from "The Conners". According to executive producer Dave Caplan, Roseanne's absence in the show's series finale was purely contractual.

"It was a pre-existing agreement," he explained to TheScholarlyNote.com. "We had already started filming when Roseanne decided not to return, so we just went ahead and finished the season without her."

She added in the film that she turned down the request by telling the network, 'I'm gonna be bowling that f***ing week'

Another executive producer, Bruce Helford, added that Roseanne was "very gracious" in allowing the show to continue without her.

"She realized it would be putting 300 people out of work if the initial reboot was canceled," he said. "So, she gracefully allowed us to continue without her. It really was about these people – the Conners – and we wanted to focus on their lives."

Roseanne Is America is now available to purchase on DVD or video-on-demand formats at RoseanneIsAmerica.com. Don't miss this explosive tell-all that's guaranteed to leave you gagging!

'Within three weeks, they revived the show as The Conners, and of course they killed off my character Roseanne in an opioid overdose,' Barr said in the documentary

Roseanne Is America, from director Joel Gilbert (The Trayvon Hoax: Unmasking the Witness Fraud that Divided America, above left) is available to purchase on DVD or video on demand formats at RoseanneIsAmerica.com .