Wendi McLendon-Covey Says Jeff Garlin's Goldbergs Exit Was 'Long Time Coming'

Garlin exited the ABC sitcom in December 2021, following allegations of and investigations into inappropriate behavior on set. Before his exit was confirmed, he told Vanity Fair that he did "nothing physical by any stretch of the imagination" and chalked up any verbal harassment claims as "a joke that was completely missed."

The show awkwardly continued on without him, before Garlin's Murray Goldberg was then killed off between Seasons 9 and 10, the latter of which picked up months after his off-camera death. Appearing on Radio Andy with Andy Cohen on Tuesday, McLendon-Covey was asked how it felt for her character -- Murray's wife, Beverly Goldberg -- to become a widow following Garlin's exit.

"That was a long time coming. That it finally happened, it was like, okay, finally, someone is listening to us," she said, before addressing the timing of the exit -- which came after the passing of fellow costar George Segal, whose death was also incorporated into the show.

"But that was kind of hard though, because we had lost George Segal in real life and then 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," the actress continued.

Cohen pressed further, asking whether the "Jeff Garlin thing" was a "culmination of a long period of time where people were complaining."

"Yes. Yeah," she said. "If we can not talk about that, that would be great. I'm exhausted by that topic and the PTSD of it all."

Though she called herself "obnoxious" for saying she didn't want to discuss it further, Cohen said she had nothing to worry about -- telling her he appreciated her for being "clear and direct" with him. She then concluded, "I feel like the less people know about that, the better. No one benefits from knowing anything."

Garlin and producers reportedly came to mutual agreement for him to step away from the series in 2021, following allegations of inappropriate behavior on set. Last year, he told Vanity Fair, "My opinion is, I have my process about how I’m funny, in terms of the scene and what I have to do. They feel that it makes for a quote 'unsafe' workspace."

He also revealed that "HR has come to me three years in a row for my behavior on set."

"The Goldbergs" will come to an end after its current, 10th season.