What Sara Gilbert’s Co-Stars Have Really Said About Her

Sara Gilbert reached her peak after being cast as Darlene Conner on Roseanne. She was only 13 when the sitcom premiered in 1988, and somehow, she was just as hilarious as comedy legends like Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, and Laurie Metcalf.

After Roseanne ended in 1997, Gilbert kept going at it, and in 2010, she created The Talk, which became a big deal on CBS. She was also the one who pulled the strings for the Roseanne revival, which later turned into The Conners (RIP Roseanne Barr’s career). So yes, Gilbert has had a long, complicated career, and her co-stars have had plenty to say about her.

Roseanne Barr Praised Gilbert For The Reboot

Before things got really messy, Roseanne Barr actually gave Gilbert credit for helping bring Roseanne back in 2018. She said Gilbert was okay with doing all the behind-the-scenes work needed to get the revival moving. And at first, the reunion sounded like a dream come true. The cast was joking around and slipping right back into those familiar family dynamics. Gilbert’s Darlene always felt like one of the characters closest to Roseanne herself, hence the admiration.

Then She Changed Her Mind And Claimed Gilbert “Destroyed” Her

Unfortunately, the reunion did not last because in 2018, Barr decided to ruin her career and posted a racist tweet, which made ABC cancel Roseanne almost immediately. Gilbert publicly condemned Barr’s comments, saying that the cast has nothing to do with that. And of course, Barr felt betrayed, claiming in later interviews that Gilbert was the reason why the show was canceled. By 2023, Barr was still talking about how she got stabbed in the back.

Barr Forgave Her, But Not For Long

Right after the controversy, Barr said that she forgave Gilbert and Michael Fishman, who played D.J., though she also said she wished they had contacted her privately instead of speaking out publicly. But in reality, Barr was still furious. From her perspective, Gilbert failed her, and that’s that. This went from a workplace disagreement to a Hollywood family feud in a blink.

Her TV Family Praised Her Leadership

While Barr was throwing her hissy fit, Gilbert’s on-screen siblings were much more supportive. Michael Fishman was thankful she helped bring everyone back together for the reboot and for being modest about it. The reunion was a challenging task. Lecy Goranson, who played Becky, also said sitting around the table with the cast again made her feel grounded and connected. For the Conner kids, Gilbert became the person who helped reopen the door to Hollywood.