Few television comebacks have unraveled as quickly as Roseanne Barr’s 2018 revival — the sitcom that made her a household name in the ’90s was canceled within months after a racist tweet, setting off a chain of events that reshaped her career and public image. Since then, she’s reinvented herself as a podcast host, political commentator, and macadamia nut farmer in Hawaii — all while navigating serious health problems.
Born: November 3, 1952 (age 72) ·
Net Worth: Est. $80 million ·
Children: 5 ·
Spouse: Ben Thomas (m. 2017) ·
Famous For: Roseanne (sitcom)
Quick snapshot
- Born November 3, 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
- Fired after 2018 racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- Diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (Los Angeles Times interview (news outlet))
- Has 5 children and married Ben Thomas in 2017 (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
- Exact current net worth (estimates vary widely) (People (celebrity and entertainment magazine))
- Whether she still talks to John Goodman (contradictory statements) (People (celebrity and entertainment magazine))
- Full extent of her heart condition revealed in 2026 (The Daily Beast (news and culture publication))
- Specific timeline for future career plans (People (celebrity and entertainment magazine))
- 2018: Fired after racist tweet; revival canceled (Los Angeles Times (news outlet))
- 2021: Reveals she had a stroke (Los Angeles Times (news outlet))
- 2023: Releases comedy special “Roseanne Barr: The Good, The Bad, The Crazy” (Los Angeles Times (news outlet))
- 2026: Reports heart damage while pursuing cosmetic surgery (Cleveland.com (regional news site))
- Continues podcast “The Roseanne Barr Podcast”
- Active on social media (Instagram, Facebook)
- Potential further comedy specials or touring
- Ongoing political commentary and endorsements
Facts at a glance
Seven key details Wikipedia (open encyclopedia) and news sources confirm:
| Full Name | Roseanne Cherrie Barr |
|---|---|
| Born | November 3, 1952 (age 72) |
| Occupation | Actress, comedian, writer, producer |
| Net Worth | Est. $80 million |
| Spouse | Ben Thomas (m. 2017) |
| Children | 5 |
| Famous For | Roseanne (sitcom) |
What is Roseanne Barr doing today?
What is Roseanne doing now?
- Hosts “The Roseanne Barr Podcast,” where she discusses politics, health, and pop culture (The Daily Beast (news and culture publication))
- Posts regularly on Instagram and Facebook, often sharing political opinions (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
- Lives in Hawaii on a macadamia nut farm with husband Ben Thomas
- Released a comedy special in 2023 titled “Roseanne Barr: The Good, The Bad, The Crazy”
What happened to Roseanne Barr recently?
In early 2026, Barr revealed on her podcast that she had been told her heart was “damaged” and required evaluation before elective cosmetic surgery. She expressed fear of dying on the operating table. The Daily Beast (news and culture publication) reported the story, which was picked up by Cleveland.com (regional news site) and Fox News (national news network). Barr did not specify the exact cardiac diagnosis.
“I was told my heart is damaged and I need to get checked before I have any surgery.”
— Roseanne Barr, via The Roseanne Barr Podcast, as reported by The Daily Beast (news and culture publication)
Barr’s openness about her health battles keeps her in the public eye, but the lack of a confirmed diagnosis leaves fans and media speculating — exactly the cycle she’s criticized in the past.
The pattern: health disclosures fuel attention, but without a clear diagnosis the narrative remains unsettled — a dynamic that Barr herself has often condemned.
Why did they remove Roseanne from The Conners?
What was the tweet that got Roseanne fired?
In May 2018, Barr posted a tweet comparing former Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett to a character from Planet of the Apes. The comment was widely condemned as racist. BBC News (UK public broadcaster) reported that ABC canceled the Roseanne revival within hours.
How did ABC respond?
ABC canceled the show entirely, later announcing a spin-off, The Conners, without Roseanne’s involvement. The network retained the cast and crew, writing Roseanne’s character as having died from an accidental opioid overdose (BBC News (UK public broadcaster)).
What happened to the Roseanne revival?
The revival had been a ratings success, but the cancellation was swift. Barr later apologized, claiming the tweet was a “bad joke” and blaming the sleeping aid Ambien (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)).
“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks.”
— Roseanne Barr, via Twitter, 2018
The fallout from a single tweet ended one of television’s highest-rated revivals and forced ABC to restructure an entire season — a cost that Barr continues to feel.
The implication: the speed of the cancellation shows how quickly public trust can evaporate, leaving a legacy permanently altered.
What is Roseanne Barr’s diagnosis?
What is Roseanne Barr’s health condition?
- In 2015, she revealed she had macular degeneration and glaucoma and was losing her sight (ABC News (health division))
- She has spoken openly about having dissociative identity disorder (formerly multiple personality disorder) (Los Angeles Times interview (news outlet))
- She has had two kidney transplants and battled addiction
- In 2021 she revealed she had a stroke and recovered
- In 2026 she reported a “damaged heart” (see above)
Does Roseanne Barr have a mental illness?
Yes — she has publicly stated she was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder. In a 2021 interview with the Los Angeles Times (news outlet), Barr described the condition as a coping mechanism from childhood trauma. She has also discussed the diagnosis on her podcast.
“I have multiple personalities. It’s a survival mechanism. I’m not ashamed of it.”
— Roseanne Barr, Los Angeles Times interview, 2021
The catch: publicly sharing her mental-health diagnosis invites both empathy and scrutiny, a double-edged sword Barr has learned to navigate.
Do John Goodman and Roseanne Barr still talk?
Are John Goodman and Roseanne Barr still friends?
The two co-starred on Roseanne and its revival, but their relationship cooled after the cancellation. In 2023, People (celebrity and entertainment magazine) reported that Goodman stated he hadn’t spoken to Barr in years.
What did John Goodman say about Roseanne after the firing?
Goodman has expressed mixed feelings. He told People (celebrity and entertainment magazine) that he loves her but they don’t talk regularly. Roseanne has said she still considers him a friend, but no public reconciliation has occurred.
“I haven’t talked to her in a long time. I love her, but our lives are very different now.”
— John Goodman, interview with People (celebrity and entertainment magazine), 2023
The pattern: the distance between them reflects the broader fallout of the 2018 tweet — personal relationships frayed along with professional ones.
Does Roseanne Barr love Trump?
What political party does Roseanne Barr support?
Barr has described herself as a longtime Democrat who later supported Donald Trump. She has openly endorsed Trump since 2016, appearing at rallies and praising him on social media. Her political shift has been a major source of controversy (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)).
Has Roseanne Barr endorsed Trump?
Yes. She has repeatedly voiced support for Trump and has shared content aligned with QAnon-adjacent conspiracy theories. In 2020, she produced a video endorsing his reelection (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)).
A woman who once made her name on a working-class sitcom that championed progressive values now actively supports a president who mocks those same values — and the cognitive dissonance only fuels the ongoing debate about her legacy.
The implication: Barr’s political evolution has made her a lightning rod, ensuring that her voice remains prominent even as her mainstream career faded.
Timeline: Key events in Roseanne Barr’s post-cancellation life
Seven moments that trace the arc from sitcom royalty to independent media personality:
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Roseanne premieres on ABC | Wikipedia (open encyclopedia) |
| 1997 | Roseanne ends after 9 seasons | Wikipedia (open encyclopedia) |
| 2018 | Revival airs; canceled after racist tweet | BBC News (UK public broadcaster) |
| 2018 | ABC spins off The Conners without Barr | BBC News (UK public broadcaster) |
| 2020 | Launches “The Roseanne Barr Podcast” | The Daily Beast (news and culture publication) |
| 2021 | Reveals she had a stroke | Los Angeles Times (news outlet) |
| 2023 | Releases comedy special | The Daily Beast (news and culture publication) |
The pattern: each milestone after the 2018 firing shows a deliberate pivot toward independent media and away from network television.
Clarity check: What’s confirmed vs. what’s still unclear
Three facts are rock-solid; three remain open questions.
Confirmed facts
- Roseanne was born November 3, 1952 (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
- She was fired from The Conners after a racist tweet in 2018 (BBC News (UK public broadcaster))
- She has been diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (Los Angeles Times (news outlet))
- She is married to Ben Thomas since 2017 (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
- She has 5 children (Wikipedia (open encyclopedia))
What’s unclear
- Exact current net worth (estimates vary widely)
- Whether she still talks to John Goodman (contradictory statements) (People (celebrity and entertainment magazine))
- The full extent of her health issues — the “damaged heart” claim lacks a specific diagnosis
- Her future career plans
- Whether she will ever return to a scripted television series
Quotable voices
“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks.”
— Roseanne Barr, Twitter apology, 2018
“I haven’t talked to her in a long time. I love her, but our lives are very different now.”
— John Goodman, interview with People (celebrity and entertainment magazine), 2023
“I have multiple personalities. It’s a survival mechanism. I’m not ashamed of it.”
— Roseanne Barr, Los Angeles Times interview, 2021
“Roseanne’s tweet was abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
— ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey, as reported by BBC News (UK public broadcaster)
The implication: the range of voices — from Barr’s apologies to network executives’ condemnation — shows how the incident continues to be re-litigated in public.
Bottom line
Roseanne Barr remains a polarizing force in American culture — a comedian who built an empire on relatable, working-class humor, then lost it overnight over a single tweet. Her health battles, from vision loss to a reported heart condition, add an urgent human layer to a story often reduced to controversy. For fans who grew up watching her on ABC, the takeaway is clear: Barr is unlikely to return to mainstream television, but her podcast and social media presence ensure her voice stays in the conversation. For network executives, the lesson is equally blunt: one wrong post can erase decades of goodwill and billions of dollars in franchise value.
decider.com, geo.tv, pennlive.com, nationalenquirer.com, sverigepanelen.se
For a detailed look at her health and life after television, see Roseanne Barrs current life and health.
Frequently asked questions
What is Roseanne Barr’s net worth?
Estimates vary, but most sources place it at around $80 million, accumulated from her sitcom syndication, film roles, and production credits.
How old is Roseanne Barr?
She was born November 3, 1952, making her 72 years old as of 2024.
Who is Roseanne Barr married to?
She married Ben Thomas, a Canadian musician, in 2017. It is her third marriage.
What are Roseanne Barr’s most famous TV shows?
Her eponymous sitcom Roseanne (1988–1997, revived 2018) is her most famous. She also hosted The Roseanne Show (1998–2000).
Did Roseanne Barr apologize for her tweet?
Yes. A few hours after posting the tweet in May 2018, she apologized, calling it a “bad joke.” Later she blamed the sleeping aid Ambien.
Is Roseanne Barr still making comedy?
Yes. She released a comedy special in 2023 and continues to perform stand-up occasionally.
What is Roseanne Barr’s podcast called?
It is called “The Roseanne Barr Podcast,” available on major platforms including YouTube and Spotify.
The pattern: these questions reflect the most common searches about Barr, indicating the public’s continued interest in her finances, personal life, and career moves.
Related reading
Freddie Clarke is Senior Reporter at WordPatch.co.uk, covering writing, language, publishing, books, digital culture and entertainment stories for UK audiences.