Michael Fishman Splits From His Wife of 19 Years

Michael Fishman who is 37 years old and is best known for his role as D.J. Connor in the hit show ‘Rosanne’ and ‘The Connors’ split from his wife Jennifer Briner.

Briner filed Thursday for legal separation in Orange County, California, citing irreconcilable differences.  This was confirmed on Friday by the couple who announced they will be divorcing after 19 years of marriage.  Fishman stated they filed the documents together.

Fishman married Briner when he was 18-years-old in 1999 and they have two children together.

Fishman stated that the break up was amicable.  He also stated that the couple called it quits in June 2017, but the divorce was delayed due to the issues with the 2018 reboot of ‘Rosanne.’ The original show aired from 1988 to 1997.

ABC canceled the show after the show’s star Rosanne Barr tweeted racist remarks about Valerie Jarrett who was former President Barack Obama’s advisor.

Fishman released a statement on Twitter after the show was canceled. He talked about how the cancellation was the hardest day of his life and he felt devastated for all of those who worked on the show and for the audience. He condemned the statements Rosanne made and he said society must stand against bigotry, bias, ignorance, and hatred.

Rosanne’s TV daughter Sara Gilbert also condemned her actions. Rosanne tweeted that Sarah and Fishman there her under the bus.

‘The Connors’ is a different show without Rosanne.  Their eldest daughter, Becky is dealing with alcohol abuse and an unplanned pregnancy.  She is also struggling with money.

Middle child Darlene is a single mother of two children who has started a new career and is romantically involved with her boss.

DJ is starting a new business with his father, who is still trying to cope with the death of his wife due to a drug overdose.

Briner is seeking joint legal custody of their minor daughter, Isabella Natalie Fishman who is 16 and a high school freshman.  Their son Aaron is 18.  She asked to the court to terminate spousal support for both party.  The court should detertemine the rights to the community property, and that both parties should be responsible for their own attorney’s fees.

She lists two bank accounts, a 2008 Ford Edge, and a 2001 Ford Expedition as her assets.  Paperwork states they state they were married for 17 years and 8 months.

Besides ‘Rosanne’ and ‘The Connors’ Fishman appeared on one episode of ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ and ‘Seinfeld.’ Fishman was born in Southern California and played the role of DJ Conner since he was six-years-old.

In an interview he gave earlier this year with the website DadofDivas, he talked about his wife. He stated that she was his hero because of his children’s success in school was due to her. He stated she read to them, helped them with basic math skills and taught them how to read. His job was to teach them life skills, concepts, and large ideas.

Fishman told how his wife used to drive his children to where he was working so they could eat a meal as a family.

Written by Barbara Sobel

Sources:

People: The Connors’ Michael Fishman Splits from Wife of Nearly 20 Years Jennifer Brinner: Report
Fox News: ‘Connors’ star Michael Fishman divorcing wife after 19 years: report
E! News: The Connors’ Michael Fishman and Wife Jennifer Split