Michael Fishman and his wife Jennifer Briner have decided to end their 20-year marriage. The 37-year-old actor’s wife filed divorce documents this week, and her divorce petition was accompanied by Fishman’s response, TMZ reports. The move comes four months after Briner filed for legal separation from T he Conners star.
Michael Fishman and Jennifer Briner married in 1999 when he was just 18-years-old. The couple has two children together, 16-year-old Isabella and 18-year-old Aaron. It’s still unclear what led to Fishman and Briner’s split, but things appear to be very amicable. After the divorce filing, Michael Fishman and his wife took their daughter to lunch to show her they are still a family.
“We continue to work together to put our kids first,” Fishman told TMZ .
Michael Fishman’s divorce is not a total shock to fans. In late December, Jennifer Briner filed separation documents citing “irreconcilable differences.” In her court filing, Briner requested joint custody and visitation of her and Fishman’s daughter, and she requested to terminate the court’s ability to award spousal support to either party.
At the time, Michael Fishman released a statement to fans to explain the situation. According to ET Online , the actor revealed that he and Briner will continue to be “the closest of friends” and that their children will remain their “top priority” and the focus of their decision making.
Shortly after he confirmed the news of his separation , Michael Fishman posted a photo of the soon-to-be exes enjoying a family breakfast at a diner with their two kids.
In December, Michael Fishman revealed why he and his wife filed for legal separation and weren’t jumping right into a divorce. Fishman admitted that he wanted to keep Jennifer covered under his health insurance for as long as possible and that the couple wanted to “slowly unfold” their 20 years together, according to TMZ . The couple began the process of their split in summer 2017, but the production of the Roseanne reboot slowed things down.
Michael Fishman rose to fame as a child actor playing D.J. Conner on the hit ABC sitcom Roseanne from 1988 to 1997. Last year, Fishman reprised the role for the reboot of the iconic comedy series, which was then canceled and spun off into The Conners.
Michael Fishman has not yet been announced as a full-time cast member for Season 2 of The Conners , but his character is a pivotal part of the TV family. Last year, viewers met DJ Conner’s wife, Geena (played by Maya Lynne Robinson), and his young daughter Mary (Jayden Rey).
The Conners returns to ABC this fall.