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Jeff Garlin is opening up about his contentious exit from “The Goldbergs,” saying his undiagnosed bipolar disorder contributed to the behavior that strained relationships with his co-stars before he left the hit sitcom.
The 64-year-old actor starred as the Goldbergs’ family patriarch, Murray Goldberg, on the show from its premiere in September 2013 until he departed the ABC show during its ninth season in December 2021 amid HR investigations into complaints about his on-set behavior.
Garlin was accused by members of the cast and crew of inappropriate verbal conduct, unwanted physical contact, including hugging and touching, and behavior that some employees described as creating an uncomfortable work environment.
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While speaking with Vanity Fair at the time, Garlin denied intentionally harassing anyone. He acknowledged that HR had spoken to him over several years but characterized the complaints as stemming from his style of comedy and “silliness” on set rather than malicious intent.
He also said he was willing to adjust behaviors, like no longer hugging people.
Wendi McLendon-Covey is pushing back on her former “The Goldbergs” star Jeff Garlin’s claims about his on-set behavior. (Noel Vasquez/Getty Images; Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for International Myeloma Foundation)
During a March 2023 appearance on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live,” Garlin’s co-star, Wendi McLendon-Covey, who played his wife Beverly Goldberg on “The Goldbergs,” said his exit was “a long time coming” and that “finally, someone is listening to us.” She declined to discuss the situation further, saying she was “exhausted by that topic and the PTSD of it all.”
On Monday, Garlin appeared on the Daily Beast’s “Obsessed” podcast and addressed McLendon-Covey’s comments and attributed his behavior to a mental health condition that had not been diagnosed at the time.
“It wasn’t a long time coming for me,” he said in reference to McLendon-Covey’s past remark. “I actually empathize with her because, at the time, I was undiagnosed bipolar, and I was miserable on the show.
“I was miserable with my performance,” he continued. “She was always trying to tell me, ‘Hey, you’re really great on the show.’ I didn’t believe her, and I just got to the point where I had to quit. She was very resentful, and it was a bit dramatic.
“I can only speak to what I’m responsible for,” Garlin added. “Being bipolar, I was either one of three things: dark, dark, dark — where I didn’t talk or look at anyone — happy to the point of mania, never turning off my thing or mean, really, really mean. I didn’t know which one I was going to be. I didn’t get diagnosed until I was 59. This was toward the end of my time on ‘The Goldbergs,’ so I could be a lot.
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“When I left, she was very resentful and angry at me. If she wants to continue the resentment, that’s her. I don’t have resentment toward her, even for saying things about me. I actually love her, and I appreciate that she’s one of the greatest actors I’ve ever worked with. And that will not be lost on me.”
Garlin left the show during its ninth season in 2021. (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
McLendon-Covey, 56, responded to Garlin’s comments after the Daily Beast shared a clip from his interview on Instagram.
“Huh,” she wrote in the comments section.
After an Instagram user asked her, “What’s your take, Wendi?,” the “Bridesmaids” star wrote, “Let’s just say I remember things very differently, as does the crew, the other actors, the writers and our executives.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for Garlin and McLendon-Covey for comment.
Garlin said his on-set behavior was fueled by undiagnosed bipolar disorder. (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
“The Goldbergs” followed the misadventures of a loud but loving family living in suburban Philadelphia during the 1980s.
Though Garlin left “The Goldbergs” during its ninth season, he was a regular cast member for part of that season. After his exit, the show completed some remaining Season 9 episodes using previously filmed footage and stand-ins before writing Murray Goldberg out ahead of Season 10. At the beginning of the tenth season, the show revealed that the character had died off-screen, allowing the series to continue focusing on the Goldberg family without him.
ABC announced in February 2023 that Season 10 would be the show’s last, and the series finale aired on May 3, 2023.
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While appearing on the “Obsessed” podcast, Garlin reflected on how his life and career had changed since he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
McLendon-Covey disputed his account on social media. (ABC via Getty Images)
“It’s changed quite a bit because, A, I went into AA (Acloholics Anonymous),” he said. “B, I had a nervous breakdown right after that as the ‘The Goldbergs’ thing was ending. I had a nervous breakdown, was suicidal. Went away. Learned this kind of therapy. Got the right drugs in me. The right cocktail, as they say, for bipolar. And I got a form of therapy that was new to me, called Dialectical Behavior Therapy. DBT.
“So, you know, I have regrets,” he continued. “Not a lot of them that I could have controlled, but I still have regrets on a lot of my behavior in terms of being a jerk. But I’m really a different person.
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“No, I’m the same person,” Garlin clarified. “I’m more enlightened.
The two played husband and wife on the hit sitcom. (Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
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“Like I said, I don’t have resentments,” he added. “When I have a resentment, I work through it on my own until it doesn’t help me any. I’m sober. I’m grateful. I was never grateful for my time on ‘The Goldbergs.’ That was another problem. ‘I’m not grateful for this great opportunity?’ No, I wasn’t. And now I’m grateful for everything, and so it has changed me.
“I’m still the same person at heart because I always — I would leave the set thinking, ‘Why did I apologize to a lot of people today?’ Having no idea. Because in my heart now, and logically, I know I’m good-hearted, but I wasn’t able to — I was misguided. I don’t know. But the point is, I’m really grateful for what I have now and the way I am now.”
