The Goldbergs star Wendi McLendon-Covey talks the ouster of ex-co-star Jeff Garlin

Just a month after it was revealed ABC’s The Goldbergs was coming to an end after its current 10th season, series star Wendi McLendon-Covey is opening up about her former co-star Jeff Garlin.

Garlin, 60, had starred on the show since its debut in 2013 as The Goldbergs patriarch Murray, though it was reported in December 2021 that the actor had been under investigation for over three years for, ‘allegedly engag[ing] in a pattern of verbal and physical conduct on [the set of The Goldbergs] that made people uncomfortable.’

While Garlin himself would insist that he had not been fired from the show in an interview with Vanity Fair, it was announced just weeks later that he was leaving the show in a ‘mutual decision.’

Murray was ultimately killed off in the ninth season – which also was following the real death of beloved cast member George Segal, who played the Goldbergs grandpa Pops – during Season 8.

Garlin’s exit has not been discussed much by the cast, though McLendon-Covey, 53, revealed to Andy Cohen in an upcoming episode of Sirius XM’s Radio Andy that Garlin’s exit had been ‘a long time coming.’

Allegations: Garlin, 60, had starred on the show since its debut in 2013 as The Goldbergs patriarch Murray, though it was reported in December 2021 that the actor had been under investigation for over three years for, ‘allegedly engag[ing] in a pattern of verbal and physical conduct on [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 exit, she said, ‘That was a long time coming.’

‘That it finally happened, it was like, “OK, OK, someone’s finally listening to us.” But that was kind of hard though, because we had lost George Segal in real life,’ she said.

‘To have to go through another loss on a sitcom, you can’t keep asking your audience to mourn people. That’s not why they tune in,’ McLendon-Covey explained.

When Cohen tried to ask more about Garlin’s accusations, McLendon-Covey said, ‘If we could not talk about that, that would be great,’ which Cohen agreed to.

‘I’m exhausted by that topic and the PTSD of it all,’ she said, as Andy applauded her for being direct and saying she didn’t want to talk about it. 

‘I just feel like the less people know about that, the better. No one benefits from knowing anything,’ she insisted.

McLendon-Covey previously spoke about Garlin’s exit from the show in a tweet, before she deactivated her account.

A journalist shared a clip from a Season 9 episode where Garlin was inserted into a scene, stating, ‘They should either cancel The Goldbergs or kill off Jeff Garlin’s character because the workarounds they’ve been using this season ain’t working.’

Long time: When Cohen asked how the actress felt about her character becoming a widow due to Garlin’s exit, she said, ‘That was a long time coming’

Loss: ‘That it finally happened, it was like, “OK, OK, someone’s finally listening to us.” But that was kind of hard though, because we had lost George Segal (right) in real life,’ she said

Loss: ‘To have to go through another loss on a sitcom, you can’t keep asking your audience to mourn people. That’s not why they tune in,’ McLendon-Covey explained

McLendon-Covey answered, ‘Thanks for the great suggestion Noel! This season threw us for a loop because a.) it’s hard to incorporate someone who doesn’t want to be there and wants to leave mid-scene, and b.) we weren’t about to re-write the 2nd half of the season. We’re doing our best.’

The show ultimately killed off Garlin, who also reportedly slammed the show in a stand-up set in Hollywood just weeks before he was fired, according to Variety.

While phones weren’t allowed in the club, he said that he hated the show and only kept showing up for the paycheck.

He also shared a joke he often told on the set that offended a crew member and led to talk of him getting fired.

‘A lot of days on The Goldbergs, I sit in a Barcalounger in tighty whities for the whole day, and I think to myself, ‘Who did I blow to get this job?’ he said during the show.

He added that after getting up from his chair on the joke, he would always make the same joke, ‘Ah, my vagina. Ah, achy vagina. Ah, my vagina’s killing me.’

Garlin added, ‘I get called in, and they go, “Look, you can’t do this.” And I go, “Oh yes, I can.” They go, “You might get fired.” I go, “I’d love to be fired and have it hit the papers: Cover of TMZ: ‘Jeff Garlin Fired Because His Vagina Hurts.”‘

‘I’m on a comedy. I’m a comedian. Let’s get over. I don’t have a vagina. I think everyone knows that,’ he said.

Suggestion: McLendon-Covey answered, ‘Thanks for the great suggestion Noel! This season threw us for a loop because a.) it’s hard to incorporate someone who doesn’t want to be there and wants to leave mid-scene, and b.) we weren’t about to re-write the 2nd half of the season. We’re doing our best’

Killed off: The show ultimately killed off Garlin, who also reportedly slammed the show in a stand-up set in Hollywood just weeks before he was fired, according to Variety

Paycheck: While phones weren’t allowed in the club, he said that he hated the show and only kept showing up for the paycheck