Jeff Garlin, who played family patriarch Murray Goldberg on ABC’s “The Goldbergs” from its 2013 premiere through his December 2021 departure in season nine, says undiagnosed bipolar disorder played a role in the on-set conduct that led to his exit amid HR investigations.
Garlin, 64, left the show after complaints from cast and crew members alleging inappropriate verbal conduct and unwanted physical contact, including hugging and touching, that some described as creating an uncomfortable work environment. At the time, Garlin denied intentionally harassing anyone, telling Vanity Fair that HR had spoken with him over several years but attributing the complaints to his comedic style and “silliness” rather than malicious intent. He said he was willing to change certain behaviors, such as no longer hugging colleagues.
In March 2023, co-star Wendi McLendon-Covey, who played his on-screen wife Beverly Goldberg, said on SiriusXM’s “Andy Cohen Live” that his exit was “a long time coming” and that “finally, someone is listening to us.” She declined to elaborate further, saying she was “exhausted by that topic and the PTSD of it all.”
Garlin addressed those comments Monday on the Daily Beast’s “Obsessed” podcast.
“It wasn’t a long time coming for me,” he said. “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. 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.”
He went on to describe the range of his undiagnosed condition during that period.
“I can only speak to what I’m responsible for. 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.”
Garlin added that he holds no resentment toward McLendon-Covey. “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,” he said.
McLendon-Covey, 56, responded after the Daily Beast posted a clip of the interview to Instagram, writing simply, “Huh.” When a commenter asked for her take, she 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 reported that it had reached out to representatives for both Garlin and McLendon-Covey for comment.
What happened after Garlin left
“The Goldbergs” followed a loud but loving family in 1980s suburban Philadelphia. Though Garlin exited during season nine, he remained a regular cast member for part of that season; the show finished the remaining episodes using previously filmed footage and stand-ins before writing his character out ahead of season ten, which revealed that Murray Goldberg had died off-screen. ABC announced in February 2023 that season ten would be the show’s last, and the series finale aired May 3, 2023.
Garlin describes life since his diagnosis
On the same podcast, Garlin discussed how his life has changed since receiving his bipolar diagnosis, saying he joined Alcoholics Anonymous and had a nervous breakdown, including suicidal thoughts, as his time on the show was ending. He said he then underwent treatment, including finding what he called the right medication and a therapy approach new to him, Dialectical Behavior Therapy.
“So, you know, I have regrets. 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,” he said, before adding: “No, I’m the same person. I’m more enlightened.”
He said he no longer holds resentments and has come to feel grateful for his time on the show, which he says he did not feel at the time. “I’m sober. I’m grateful. I was never grateful for my time on ‘The Goldbergs.’ That was another problem,” he said. “And now I’m grateful for everything, and so it has changed me.”
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