‘Roseanne’ Alum Reveals Tragic Connection to Chris Farley

Roseanne alum Tom Arnold reveals he had a very close connection to the late comedian Chris Farley. The actor and comedian briefly reflected on the time he was Farley’s sober sponsor while visiting Howard Stern‘s Sirius XM show, telling the host that the two had a tight relationship for years. “Lorne Michaels called me and he said, ‘You have a lot in common with Chris Farley,” the comic told the outspoken radio host. “‘Would you please spend time with him?’”

“You know, he wanted to be sober,” Arnold said of his old friend. “And I think Lorne really worried about that. So I was his sponsor for a few years.” The two remained close throughout Farley’s career and the comedian also served as Arnold’s Best Man in his wedding. They bonded early over their midwestern upbringings –– Farley, being from Wisconsin and Arnold hails from Iowa. “When he came out to do my Television HBO specials –– he just knew how funny he was –– he’d come stay with me and I got to know his whole family,” Arnold reflected.

“He liked to have fun,” Arnold continued. “He had too much fun. [I was] very sad when he died.” Clearly, the relationship wasn’t all good times as Arnold goes into the more “frustrating” parts of their friendship such as Farley’s 17th attempt at rehab or when the comedian separated himself from Arnold out of shame due to his addiction issues.

Farley’s brother Kevin famously spoke on his late brother’s sobriety struggle after his passing, telling Fox News in 2019, “I think it was a struggle for him but he did the best that he could.” Kevin continued: “He rose to fame very quickly. And I think with that came a lot of pressures that he wasn’t really prepared for. But he did the best that he could. He actually fought very hard.”

“He had dreams,” Kevin continued. “He really enjoyed his work and he enjoyed his life. But addictions can play tricks with your brain and your self-esteem. I think that’s what he struggled with.” Of the comedian’s legacy, his brother said he wanted fans to remember him as “one of the funniest guys that ever lived.””He was a kind person. That’s what I think his legacy will be,” he closed.