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Jeff-Garlin-Goldbergs.jpeg

The Final Straw that Led to The Decision to Fire Jeff Garlin from 'The Goldbergs'

By Dustin Rowles | TV | December 17, 2021 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | December 17, 2021 |


Jeff-Garlin-Goldbergs.jpeg

The writing has been on the wall for a while now, and if The Goldbergs is picked up for a tenth season, it was almost certain even before he “left” that Garlin wouldn’t have been invited back given his inappropriate behavior and his verbal and emotional abuse on the set. After all, Garlin has barely been on set for the last two months, since he screamed at a stand-in and her husband. However, the final straw came on Monday, when Garlin was set to appear for one day of shooting to complete the rest of his scenes for the season and Garlin refused to take a mandated COVID-19 test.

Of all the things! Honestly, doesn’t that tell you everything? I’m sure Garlin was vaccinated, and I’m sure that Garlin had to take COVID tests before. I follow Hayley Orrantia on TikTok — she’s only one of two people I follow — and it’s clear that protocols on the sitcom are strict. This probably wasn’t about the test. It was probably a power play, and given everything else that’s gone on, Garlin probably wanted to see how far he could push it. “They wouldn’t fire me on my last day of shooting, would they?”

They would, and they did. And they will use a body double and superimpose Garlin’s face in post-production, which is apparently something they’ve been doing for a long time already on The Goldbergs, what with his absence from the set. And why not? Nobody wants to be around the guy, and this allowed him to only come in for spot work every two or three weeks, which was a relief to everyone else who didn’t have to put up with his abuse and toxicity on the set when he wasn’t around.

In any respect, after he “left” the series, ABC didn’t shorten their episode order out of fear his absence would be a detriment to the series. They extended it another four episodes. Now I hope they renew the series for another season to spite Garlin, who said in his interview with Vanity Fair that it would probably end after this season.

Source: Deadline