Why did DJ leave The Conners after season 4? (Michael Fishman's exit explained)

Netflix just recently dropped the first five seasons of the popular comedy sitcom The Conners on its platform, and of course, it's what everyone's watching and talking about. In fact, we've been seeing a lot of questions swirling around on the internet regarding the show. More specifically, people are wondering about a main cast member's unfortunate departure from the series. We're talking about Michael Fishman, who played the role of D.J. Conner for the show's first four seasons.

D.J. was a beloved character whom viewers watched grow from being a little boy on Roseanne to a full-blown adult in the later seasons and in The Conners. That's why fans were absolutely shocked to find out that this character wouldn't be returning for The Conners season 5. This sad news was reported back in August 2022, about a month ahead of the season 5 premiere.

Michael Fishman himself announced to the world that he wouldn't be returning as D.J. for the show's fifth installment. We shared some of his exit statement via People below.

"It has been my honor to play D.J. Conner. It’s every actors dream to be a series regular, especially on a groundbreaking show, where we tackle significant topics. While I wholeheartedly will miss Friday night tapings in front of our loyal audiences, alongside our amazing cast and crew, I am excited for the opportunities coming in the next chapter of my career. While I was told I would not be returning for season 5, Lanford was a valuable place to grow up, learn and develop. I was incredibly lucky to return home and demonstrate my expansion. As I venture into the world to build the future, I send tremendous love and success to everyone involved in production."

- Michael Fishman

So, why did Fishman leave The Conners? Although he never gave an official reason on why he departed the series, it looks like it wasn't his decision to make based on his exit statement. He told People, "While I was told I would not be returning for season 5..." It looks like Fishman was hinting at his exit not being something he wanted to do. Instead, it seems that it was the show's creative team who decided to axe him from the series. Unfortunately, The Conners team has never spoken about the reason behind Fishman's exit.

Although Fishman was sad that he wouldn't be returning, he did tell People that he was looking forward to all the new opportunities coming in the future. He mentioned at the time that he had several projects that he was pitching as well as potential directing opportunities. That was good to hear for fans.

When does D.J. leave The Conners?

The last episode that D.J. Conner appears in is the season 4 finale titled "A Judge and a Priest Walk Into a Living Room..." However, his absence in the comedy sitcom is addressed in the first few episodes of The Conners season 5. We find out that he's been spending some time away from Lanford, Illinois to reunite with his wife Geena who is stationed overseas on assignment.

Could Michael Fishman ever come back and reprise his role as D.J. in The Conners? Yes, according to executive producer Bruce Helford.

"We love him [Fishman]. He’s part of the family. There’s certainly no one saying he will never be on the show [again]. It’s just a matter of whether storylines come up that are built for that."

- Bruce Helford via TVLine

Sadly, we have yet to see Fishman return to the comedy sitcom. Maybe he'll make a surprise cameo in the show's current season which is the sixth season. If not, let's hope that the show is renewed for a seventh season. Maybe we could see him return then.

The Conners seasons 1-5 are streaming now on Netflix.