NEWSTom Arnold Reacts to Ex-Wife Roseanne Barr Defending Him Years After Their Bitter Split: 'Don't Give Up'
Tom Arnold was surprised after his ex-wife Roseanne Barr publicly defended him against Chuck Lorre's allegations.
Oct. 21 2026, Published 4:21 p.m. ET
Tom Arnold was stunned when his ex-wife Roseanne Barr came to his defense amid a dispute over writing credits on their former sitcom, Roseanne.
"Don't give up. Don't ever give up. 33 years ago I predicted I would do something so cool my 1st X Wife Roseanne would be forced to say something almost nice about me. H--- finally froze over today," Arnold wrote on X on Tuesday, October 20.
The surprising exchange came after Barr, 73, backed Arnold against allegations made by The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre in his new memoir, Sitcom.
Arnold said, 'I predicted I would do something so cool my 1st X Wife Roseanne would be forced to say something almost nice about me.'
Roseanne Barr Unexpectedly Defends Tom Arnold Against Chuck Lorre
Barr sided with her ex-husband saying, 'I don't think you'll hear me say this often but Tom Arnold is telling the truth.'
Despite their contentious divorce, Barr sided with her former husband when asked about the allegations.
"Unbelievably — I don't think you'll hear me say this often — but Tom Arnold is telling the truth for once," she said.
The comedian also acknowledged Arnold's support for her, making it clear that she had not expected such a development in their relationship.
"Talk about the paradigm switch here. Tom Arnold is defending me. I have to thank him for that. That's the first time he's done something right by me in his f------- life. Thanks, Tom," she added.
Chuck Lorre Accuses Arnold of Receiving Undeserved Writing Credits
Chuck Lorre claimed that Tom Arnold was credited for scripts written by other staff members.
The disagreement stems from Lorre's account of his experience working on Roseanne, where he served as a staff writer from 1990 to 1992.
In Sitcom, Lorre alleged that Arnold's name appeared on scripts written by other members of the show's writing staff.
Arnold, who was married to Barr from 1990 to 1994, worked as a writer, actor and producer on the sitcom during that period.
The allegations have prompted renewed scrutiny of his contributions to the series, with Arnold disputing Lorre's version of events.
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Tom Arnold Explains His Role in the 'Roseanne' Writers' Room
Arnold denied taking credit for Lorre's scripts, saying he and Barr only brainstormed episode ideas before the writers returned.
"I never would put my name on a script that [Lorre] wrote," he said.
"Roseanne and I sat around talking about what we wanted to do in the next season, or maybe some ideas we had that'd be fun episodes, or groundbreaking, or whatever our bulls--- was, and I'd write them down," he explained.
He said their early brainstorming sessions took place ahead of the show's regular production schedule.
Arnold Previously Joked About His Turbulent Marriage to Barr
Arnold once joked that that Roseanne Barr is not his 'craziest ex-wife.'
In October 2025, Arnold reflected on his marriage to Barr about his My Crazy X-Wife comedy tour.
"People say My Crazy X-Wife, oh, I know which one that is. It's Roseanne,'' he said.
However, Arnold insisted that Barr did not hold that distinction among his former spouses.
"And I'm like, 'She's not even close to my craziest ex-wife because we didn't have kids together.' The worst thing she did was go on Saturday Night Live and say I have a three-inch p----, which is confidential information. You take that to the grave," he joked.
