Roseanne Barr is 73 years old.
It feels like just yesterday she was the "domestic goddess" screaming at Dan and the kids in that iconic plaid-draped living room, but time moves fast. Born on November 3, 1952, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Roseanne has spent over four decades being one of the most polarizing figures in American pop culture. Honestly, whether you love her or can't stand her, you've got to admit she’s basically the blueprint for every working-class sitcom that came after her.
Most people searching for how old is roseanne are usually trying to figure out if she’s officially retired or just regrouping. At 73, she’s definitely not slowing down, though her "work" looks a lot different now than it did during the ABC glory days. She’s currently living on a macadamia nut farm in Hawaii with her long-time partner, Johnny Argent. It’s a far cry from the fictional Lanford, Illinois, but she seems to prefer the island life where she can film her podcast and plot her next move without a network executive breathing down her neck.
Why Everyone Is Asking: How Old Is Roseanne and What Is She Doing Now?
Age is just a number, sure. But for Roseanne, 73 marks a weirdly productive chapter. She’s currently shopping around a new show that she describes as a mix between The Roseanne Show and The Sopranos. It’s reportedly about a family of Alabama farmers "saving America." She’s been very vocal about the fact that she doesn't care if the mainstream networks pick it up or not. She’s perfectly happy putting it on her own website if she has to.
She’s also been leaning heavily into the "cancel culture" narrative. After her 2018 firing from the Roseanne reboot—following a tweet about Valerie Jarrett that ABC called "repugnant"—she’s reinvented herself as a bit of a free-speech martyr for the right. Last year, a documentary called Roseanne Barr Is America (2025) hit the streaming world, diving deep into her upbringing and her fall from grace. It’s a fascinating watch if you want to understand how a Jewish girl from a Mormon-dominated city became the voice of the Midwest working class.
The Family Factor: Grandmotherhood at 73
Roseanne is a grandmother six times over. She’s mentioned in interviews that being a grandma has actually made her "pushier." She jokes that it gives her an excuse to be the "big bitch" she always wanted to be.
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Her real-life family dynamic is just as complex as anything on TV. She has five children:
- Brandi Brown, whom she gave up for adoption when she was 18 and later reunited with.
- Jessica, Jennifer, and Jake, from her first marriage to Bill Pentland.
- Buck, her youngest, born via IVF during her marriage to Ben Thomas.
Her daughter Jennifer Pentland actually wrote a memoir a few years back called This Will Be Funny Later, which painted a pretty raw picture of growing up in the shadow of such a massive, chaotic celebrity. It’s these kinds of real-world layers that make Roseanne more than just a trivia answer about her birth year.
The Comedian’s Resilience or Stubbornness?
Is she still funny? That depends entirely on your politics these days. Her 2023 special Cancel This! on Fox Nation was her first stand-up special in sixteen years. It was full of the same nasal, biting delivery she’s had since the 80s, but the targets have changed. Instead of focusing on the "domestic goddess" struggles of laundry and unruly kids, she’s taking aim at gender identity, woke culture, and the "elites."
A lot of fans from the original 88–97 run feel a bit alienated by the new Roseanne. They remember the show that tackled poverty, domestic abuse, and birth control with a nuanced, often progressive lens. Seeing her now, at 73, fully embraced by the MAGA movement is a pivot that some find inspiring and others find confusing. But that’s Roseanne. She’s never been one to sit in the middle of the road. She’d rather get hit by a truck than stay quiet.
Important Career Milestones by the Decade
To understand the 73-year-old Roseanne, you have to look at the path she took. It wasn't a straight line.
- The 1980s: She exploded onto the scene after a legendary appearance on The Tonight Show in 1985. By 1988, Roseanne was the #1 show in America.
- The 1990s: This was the era of the Tom Arnold marriage, the infamous National Anthem performance (which she’s still defending), and the end of the original series run.
- The 2000s: She ran for President on the Peace and Freedom Party ticket and moved to Hawaii.
- The 2020s: Now, she’s a podcast host and a fixture on independent media platforms, refusing to apologize for the tweet that cost her the Conner legacy.
What Most People Get Wrong About Her "Retirement"
People assume that because she was killed off The Conners (via an opioid overdose storyline, no less), she’s just sitting around retired. Not even close. She’s active on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram daily. She’s also been doing voice work, recently appearing as Principal Bortles in the animated series Mr. Birchum.
The reality is that Roseanne has plenty of money—her net worth is still estimated to be around $80 million—so she’s working because she wants to, not because she has to. She seems to thrive on the friction. She’s currently filming content for her YouTube channel and is rumored to be planning a limited comedy tour for later in 2026.
If you’re looking for the 2026 version of Roseanne Barr, don’t look for her on network TV. You’ll find her on her farm, or in a comedy club in a red state, or behind a microphone in her home studio. At 73, she’s exactly who she always was: loud, unfiltered, and completely unconcerned with what the "polite" world thinks of her.
To stay updated on her latest projects, the best move is to check her official site, RoseanneWorld.com, or follow her podcast. You’ll get the news straight from her, usually peppered with a few choice words that wouldn't pass a 1990s broadcast censor.