Jodie Sweetin offers a great explanation of why Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen didn’t return as Michelle in Fuller House. Every single core member from Full House returned for Netflix’s spin-off except for the Olsen Twins. Before Fuller House premiered, there were contradicting reports regarding their involvement. Eventually, however, it became clear that they weren’t going to return for the sequel. While the show initially made an effort to include Michelle in its storytelling via various references, not to mention meta-commentary, Michelle was ultimately cast aside because of the Olsens’ absence.

Almost three years since Fuller House‘s finale, the conversation continues about the Olsen Twins’ decision to skip the Full House spin-off. Many members of the cast have spoken up about it, but in a new appearance on the Off The Vine podcast, Stephanie actress Jodie Sweetin arguably offers the best explanation of why it is unfair to hold a grudge against Mary-Kate and Ashley for not returning as Michelle on Fuller House. Read her full answer below:

“It wasn’t like anything bad ever happened. It was just, they were 8 years old when the show stopped, so, you know, their whole life existed after. All of their memories, they’re pre-8 years old. How much of your life do you remember before you were 8 years old? Not much. So people are like, ‘Why didn’t they want [to return for Fuller House]?’ Because they were so little. For me, I was 5 to 13, that was like my formative years, my middle school, my elementary school. Like that was it, that was my growing up. For them, they barely were in, like, first grade and they were, like, done.

“So, you know, it’s just a different experience, and it wasn’t like anything bad ever happened. They went off and they’ve been wildly successful fashion designers… They’re like, ‘We’ve moved on, we don’t want to do that anymore,’ and I think it was interesting how, like, hung up on that people were. That, like, somehow, it had to be a bad thing, or it had to be an experience, and it was like, ‘No, dude, they quit doing this when they were young, and they don’t want to do it anymore.’ It’s like, that’s OK.”

Will The Olsens Ever Return As Michelle To Full House?

Michelle’s absence loomed over Fuller House, especially since she was one, if not the best part of Full House. Netflix found an easy way to explain her whereabouts, however, saying that she was no longer in San Francisco and was now based in New York where she runs her fashion empire — a nod to the Olsens’ real-life career as fashion moguls. Unfortunately, however, it still seemed odd that she didn’t even find the time to fly back home for some of the biggest moments in her sisters’ lives, including DJ and Stephanie’s triple wedding alongside Kimmy. Given this, in the event that the Full House franchise continues, long-time fans are still holding out hope that either of the Olsens could reprise Michelle.

At this point, however, it’s difficult to say if there’s even a chance that they will reconsider their initial stance to maintain their retirement from acting. Perhaps if a reunion would be done in honor of Danny Tanner actor Bob Saget, who died in early 2022, they may be more inclined to partake in the project. But it’s unlikely that they sign up for a full Fuller House season of playing Michelle. Otherwise, they could just show up in a special episode. Given everything that has happened to the Tanners, even the briefest of physical appearances from Michelle would be highly appreciated by Full House fans.

It’s worth noting, however, that there are currently no plans of moving forward with the Full House franchise. Despite the majority of the cast still eager to return to the Tanner San Francisco home, many of them are already busy with their new projects. Aside from John Stamos, no one else is totally closing the door on the possibility of revisiting the family sitcom after Fuller House. That being said, Sweetin says that it may take 20 years before the next Full House spin-off happens.