Just a month after it was announced that ABC’s The Goldbergs is ending after its current 10th season, series star Wendi McLendon-Covey opens up about her former co-star Jeff Garlin.
Garlin, 60, has starred on the show since its debut in 2013 as the Goldbergs’ patriarch Murray, although it was reported in December 2021 that the actor had been under investigation for “alleged engagement” for over three years[ing] in a pattern of verbal and physical behavior [the set of The Goldbergs] that made people uncomfortable.’
While Garlin himself insisted in an interview with Vanity Fair that he hadn’t been fired from the show, it was announced just weeks later that he was leaving the show in a “joint decision.”
Murray was eventually killed off in season 9 – which also followed the real death of beloved cast member George Segal, who played the Goldbergs’ grandpa Pops – during season eight.
Garlin’s exit wasn’t much discussed by the cast, although McLendon-Covey, 53, revealed to Andy Cohen on an upcoming episode of Sirius XM’s Radio Andy that Garlin’s exit was “a long time coming.”
Wendi speaks: Just a month after it was announced that ABC’s The Goldbergs is ending after its current 10th season, series star Wendi McLendon-Covey speaks about her former co-star Jeff Garlin
Allegations: Garlin, 60, has starred on the show since his debut in 2013 as the Goldbergs’ patriarch Murray, although it was reported in December 2021 that the actor had been under investigation for “alleged engagement” for over three years[ing] in a pattern of verbal and physical behavior [the set of The Goldbergs] that made people uncomfortable
When Cohen asked how the actress felt about her character becoming a widow due to Garlin’s departure, she said, “It’s been a long time coming.”
“Finally it happening was like ‘OK, OK, finally someone is listening to us.’ But that was pretty hard because we lost George Segal in real life,” she said.
“To have to suffer another loss in a sitcom, you can’t keep asking your audience to mourn for people. That’s not why they tune in,” McLendon-Covey explained.
When Cohen tried to learn more about Garlin’s allegations, McLendon-Covey said, “If we couldn’t talk about it, that would be great,” to which Cohen agreed.
“I’m exhausted by this topic and the PTSD of everything,” she said, as Andy applauded her for being direct and said she didn’t want to talk about it.
“I just feel like the less people know about it, the better. Nobody benefits from knowing anything,” she insisted.
McLendon-Covey previously tweeted about Garlin’s exit from the show before deactivating her account.
A journalist shared a clip from a season 9 episode in which Garlin was inserted into a scene and said, “They should either cancel The Goldbergs or kill Jeff Garlin’s character because the workarounds they used this season not work.”
Long time: When Cohen asked how the actress felt about her character becoming a widow due to Garlin’s departure, she said, “It’s been a long time coming.”
Loss: “Finally having it happen was like, ‘OK, OK, finally someone is listening to us. But that was pretty hard because we lost George Segal (right) in real life,” she said
Loss: “To suffer another loss in a sitcom, you can’t keep asking your audience to mourn for people. That’s not why they tune in,” McLendon-Covey explained
McLendon-Covey replied: “Thanks for the great suggestion, Noel! This season threw us off track because a.) it’s difficult to hook in someone who doesn’t want to be there and want to drop out mid-scene, and b.) we didn’t want to rewrite the second half of the season. We do our best.’
The show eventually killed Garlin, who also reportedly slammed the show in a stand-up set in Hollywood just weeks before being fired, according to Variety.
While phones weren’t allowed at the club, he said he hated the show and only showed up for the paycheck.
He also shared a joke he often told on set that offended a crew member and led to talk of him being fired.
“Many days at The Goldbergs, I sit in a barca lounger in tight white pants all day and I’m like, ‘Who did I blow to get this job?’ he said during the show.
He added that after getting up from his chair over the joke, he would always make the same joke: “Ah, my vagina. Ah, sore vagina. Ah, my vagina is killing me.’
Garlin added, “I get called and they’re like, ‘Look, you can’t do this.’ And I say, “Oh yes, I can.” They say, “You could get fired.” I say, ‘I’d like to get fired and get it in the papers: Cover of TMZ: ‘Jeff Garlin Fired Because His Vagina Hurts.’
“I’m in a comedy. i am a comedian Let’s come over. I don’t have a vagina. I think everyone knows that,” he said.
Suggestion: McLendon-Covey replied, “Thanks for the great suggestion, Noel! This season threw us off track because a.) it’s difficult to hook in someone who doesn’t want to be there and want to drop out mid-scene, and b.) we didn’t want to rewrite the second half of the season. We do our best’
Killed: The show eventually killed Garlin, who also reportedly slammed the show in a Hollywood stand-up set just weeks before being fired, according to Variety
Paycheck: While phones weren’t allowed at the club, he said he hated the show and only showed up for the paycheck