Hey there, friends! In just a few days, The Conners is about to premiere without its original star, Roseanne Barr. As you might recall, this sitcom reboot, Roseanne, was abruptly canceled back in May due to some extremely racist tweets from Roseanne herself. Now, this new spin-off is moving forward without her. In a recent interview with People, the show's beloved stars—John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Sara Gilbert—spoke candidly about what it’s like to work on the series without their original leading lady.

How Are the Stars Handling the Show Without Roseanne?

Let's dive into what the cast members have been saying. Sara Gilbert, who's now 43, and Laurie Metcalf, who's 63, revealed that they haven’t spoken to Roseanne since the controversy erupted in May. However, they did say they reached out to her, but unfortunately, they haven’t heard back yet. Now, John Goodman, who’s 66, had some really kind words for Roseanne. He expressed gratitude for her allowing the show to continue, saying, “That was a very big deal. To give us a chance.” It’s clear that John sees this as a generous gesture from Roseanne, even amidst the tough circumstances.

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Roseanne's Take on Moving Forward

Roseanne herself has been pretty vocal about how the series will proceed without her. When the spin-off was first announced, the then 65-year-old released a heartfelt statement. She said, “I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne. I agreed to the settlement in order that 200 jobs of beloved cast and crew could be saved, and I wish the best for everyone involved.”

Roseanne continued, explaining her stance on the situation. “I’m not going to curse it or bless it. I’m staying neutral. That’s what I do. I’m staying neutral. I’m staying away from it. Not wishing bad on anyone, and I don’t wish good for my enemies. I don’t. I can’t. I just stay neutral. That’s what I gotta do,” she said. She also opened up about her mental health struggles, mentioning her battle with depression and how she needs to keep herself balanced to avoid going down a dark path. She humorously added, “After all, I was married to Tom Arnold.”

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Roseanne's Character's Fate

Roseanne has also been open about how her character will exit the show. She mentioned, “They have her die of an opioid overdose.” Now, Roseanne had plans to tackle the opioid crisis on the show, but she never intended for her character to meet such a tragic end. She expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, “It’s so cynical and horrible. She should have died as a hero or not at all… It wasn’t enough to [fire me], they had to so cruelly insult the people who loved that family and that show.”

Addressing the Grief on Screen

During the interview with People, Laurie and Sara opened up about the character’s demise on the show. Laurie shared, “Sara and I had this scene in the first show where we addressed the grief.” She added, “Sometimes when you’re an actor and you have to go to that place, you substitute something, but in this case there was no need to do that, because it was there. And it was real. And still makes me choke up, because that part of it’s been really hard.”

Sara echoed this sentiment, saying her emotions will naturally flow into the show. “And our show has always been able to deal with heavy topics, particularly for a sitcom. It’s been kind of built into the mix,” she explained.

The Conners is set to premiere on October 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, and trust me, it’s going to be a must-watch!