Michael Fishman addresses absence from ‘The Conners’ finale

Michael Fishman, who played son D.J. Conner on all 10 seasons of Roseanne and reprised his role for four seasons of the spinoff The Conners, is opening up about his absence from the latter show’s recent series finale after being “inundated with people looking for a reaction.”

“People seem to want to have there be some kind of conflict or controversy, especially on my part,” the actor said in a video posted to Instagram on Friday. “The reality is, all I really have is empathy and understanding for all of the people on set, and for all of our audience that’s grieving.” He also noted in his caption that he was “Thankful for the Gift of Grief.”

Signaling his desire to be a “lighthouse in the dark,” Fishman reflected, “When I look back at the legacy of the show, a legacy that started with Roseanne Barr and that we built into Roseanne and The Conners, I have only gratitude. I really believe that that legacy belongs to all of you in the audience.”

Fishman expressed gratitude for being “rewarded for my professionalism and kindness and collaboration,” specifically citing the the Carsey-Werner Company, a production company that was critical in developing Roseanne and whose co-founder Tom Werner produced The Conners alongside star Sara Gilbert under their Sara + Tom banner.

Wrapping up, Fishman said, “It’s been my honor, because I believe it’s a comfort show for many. So in this time, I keep thinking to myself, it’s the perfect time to reconnect. It’s the perfect time to go back and celebrate. And so I’m looking back and starting over and watching from the beginning with a whole new perspective.”

Fishman portrayed the eldest son of Barr and John Goodman‘s characters on Roseanne for a decade, returned for the 2017 revival, and stayed on in the main cast of The Conners for four years. (The Roseanne revival was famously canceled after Barr posted a racist tweet attacking former President Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett.)

In 2022, Fishman abruptly parted ways with The Conners and said it wasn’t his decision to leave.

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“While I was told I would not be returning for season 5, Lanford was a valuable place to grow up, learn, and develop,” Fishman said in a statement at the time, referencing the fictional Illinois town that provided the setting for the O.G. and spinoff series. “I am proud of the work I did as part of Roseanne and The Conners. Especially the privilege of playing a Military Veteran, Interracial Spouse, and the father of a Biracial child, portrayed by the amazing Jayden Rey.”

Also absent from the Conners series finale was Barr, whose sudden disappearance from the titular family was controversially explained in the premiere episode as a death by opioid overdose.

In last week’s two-part finale, Goodman’s Dan finally took the pharmaceutical company responsible for his late wife’s overdose to court but received an insultingly meager payout.

“Well, Rose, we always said that if the kids were still alive at the end of the day, we did our job,” Dan said at his wife’s grave. “I think we did better than that.”