The Goldbergs Star Wendi McLendon-Covey Admits Jeff Garlin's Exit Was "A Long Time Coming"
The past keeps getting clearer every day.
That's because Wendi McLendon-Covey is once again getting candid about her reaction to Jeff Garlin's departure from The Goldbergs ahead of the series finale.
More than a year after the actor exited the ABC sitcom following an HR investigation stemming from multiple complaints about his behavior, his onscreen wife shared her thoughts regarding the on-set turmoil.
"That was a long time coming," Wendi admitted to Andy Cohen on Radio Andy March 21. "That it finally happened, it was like, 'Okay, finally, someone is listening to us.'"
However, the Bridesmaids actress also acknowledged that the timing of his departure was a little difficult to work into the show. At the time, the sitcom was already mourning the loss of the character Pops.
"That was kind of hard, though, because we had lost George Segal in real life," Wendi explained. "So, 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."
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George died during season eight due to complications from bypass surgery in March 2021. Meanwhile, Jeff was written off between seasons nine and ten, with his character Murray appearing via CGI and stand-ins prior to the final season premiere.
However, after briefly commenting on Jeff's not-so-unexpected December 2021 departure, Wendi kindly asked Andy to change the subject.
"If we could not talk about that, that would be great," she said. "I'm exhausted by that topic and the PTSD of it all." The Reno 911! star added, "The less people know about that, the better. No one benefits from knowing anything."
But this isn't the first time Wendi has spoken out about Jeff's exit. In March 2022, she shared a message on Twitter on behalf of the cast, saying, "We're doing our best."
"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," she tweeted, "and b.) we weren't about to re-write the 2nd half of the season."
The actress previously celebrated ten years of playing Beverly Goldberg opposite Sean Giambrone, Troy Gentile, Hayley Orrantia, AJ Michalka, Sam Lerner and narrator Patton Oswalt upon their cancelation.
"It's been an honor to be part of The Goldbergs for the last decade," Wendi shared in the February announcement. "I'm really proud of what we accomplished with the show, and I'm so lucky to have had such a rewarding experience. I will miss my TV family and every last crew member."
She continued, "And thanks to all our fans (the Goldnerds) for being so sweet and supportive. My heart is full... but I definitely hope I never see another pair of shoulder pads for the rest of my life."
See how the 1980-somethings come to an end in The Goldbergs series finale, May 3 on ABC.
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