Wendi McLendon-Covey responds after Jeff Garlin attributes his Goldbergs exit to undiagnosed bipolar disorder

# What happened

Wendi McLendon-Covey, who played Beverly Goldberg opposite Garlin's Murray Goldberg, replied on social media after a clip of Garlin's interview circulated. She wrote "Huh," and responded to a follower by saying, "Let's just say I remember things very differently, as does the crew, the other actors, the writers and our executives."

# Garlin's account

Garlin described three possible states he experienced while undiagnosed: withdrawn and dark, manic and overly energetic, or mean. He said he didn't know what state he would be in on any given day. He told the podcast he didn't intentionally harass people and that some past discussions with HR were about his comedic style and "silliness," though he acknowledged the need to change certain behaviors such as hugging.

He said he received a bipolar diagnosis at age 59. After that diagnosis he entered Alcoholics Anonymous, experienced a nervous breakdown as his time on the series ended, and later received medication and a form of therapy he found helpful.

# What led to Garlin's departure

The show's public timeline: Garlin exited during Season 9 in December 2021 amid HR complaints. The production completed some remaining Season 9 episodes using previously filmed footage and stand-ins. Ahead of Season 10, the writers wrote the character Murray Goldberg out and revealed he had died off-screen. ABC announced in February 2023 that Season 10 would be the series' last, and the finale aired on May 3, 2023.

# McLendon-Covey's response and context

McLendon-Covey's brief social media reply rejects Garlin's framing. She says she remembers events differently and points to the crew, other actors, writers and executives as sharing that memory. Previously, during a March 2023 SiriusXM appearance, she had said Garlin's exit was "a long time coming" and described being exhausted by the topic and the PTSD of it.

# Why this matters to viewers

The exchange revisits public allegations that led to a major cast change and shifts how some viewers may understand the circumstances behind Garlin's departure. It also brings a personal mental health narrative into a dispute that originally centered on workplace conduct and HR investigations.

# What's left unresolved

Garlin and McLendon-Covey have offered different recollections. Representatives for both were contacted for comment, but neither side produced a joint accounting in the reporting summarized here.