Jeff Garlin has exited ABC’s The Goldbergs effective immediately following a human resources investigation stemming from several complaints about the comedian’s on-set behavior.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the cast and crew were informed of Garlin’s sudden departure by a veteran producer Wednesday, after Garlin and Sony Pictures Television had reached a mutual agreement.
TVLine has reached out to Garlin’s representatives. ABC and Sony Pictures Television have declined comment at this time.
The Curb Your Enthusiasm star previously gave a lengthy interview to Vanity Fair‘s Maureen Ryan, who was investigating an alleged pattern of “verbal and physical conduct on set that made people uncomfortable.” Garlin told Ryan that HR had come to him three years in a row to discuss his behavior, after staffers on the ABC sitcom complained about inappropriate language and unwarranted touching.
“It’s always the same thing,” Garlin said at the time. “It’s about me and my silliness on set. They don’t think it’s appropriate. I do. That’s where we’re at. I’ve not been fired because of it. We just think differently.”
Asked about staffers who felt “demeaned and disrespected,” Garlin responded, “[A]s a comedian, if somebody is offended by what I say, all I can say is, I’m sorry. Okay? I have never physically come at anyone, for any reason, so that I find terribly confusing and untrue.”
Garlin had not yet completed production on The Goldbergs‘ current 18-episode order. (UPDATE: The order has been increased to 22 episodes.) It remains unclear how his character’s absence will be addressed. His future with the series beyond Season 9 had already been in doubt, with THR reporting that he was not expected to return for a hypothetical Season 10.
The ’80s-set Goldbergs first premiered in 2013. Loosely based on the life of creator Adam F. Goldberg, the series currently stars Wendi McLendon-Covey (as Beverly), Garlin (as Murray), Sean Giambrone (as Adam), Troy Gentile (as Barry), Hayley Orrantia (as Erica) and Sam Lerner (as Erica’s fiancé Geoff).
Earlier this year, The Goldbergs said goodbye to fellow cast member George Segal, who died in March from bypass surgery complications at the age of 87. In the Season 9 premiere, which aired Sept. 22, it was revealed that Pops had quietly passed away in his sleep.
