To sum up John Stamos' decades-long relationship with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in two words: it's complicated.
When Stamos announced his plans to revive "Full House" on Netflix back in April, it was reported that Olsen twins would not be part of the project. Fans were obviously heartbroken. How could there be a Tanner family reunion on "Fuller House" without Michelle? No way, José!
Alas, it was true. But that didn't stop thirsty media outlets from asking Stamos about it every chance they got. And with every answer came new speculation: did Uncle Jesse and Michelle have major beef IRL?
Michelle Full House GIF
Since then, the Internet has been nothing but a constant stream of back-and-forth between Stamos and, well, mostly Stamos. We've attempted to chronicle Stamos' complicated, emotional journey with the Olsen twins in this handy-dandy timeline. Don't say we never gave you anything, OK?
1987: During the family sitcom's first season, Stamos, displeased with the Olsen babies’ nonstop crying, had them fired from the show. Lucky for us, the replacement babies weren't much better, so Mary-Kate and Ashley were hired back.
"It's sort of true that the Olsen twins cried a lot," Stamos confirmed during the 2015 Television Critics Association's press tour. "It was very difficult to get the shot. So I [said], 'Get them out!' That is actually 100 percent accurate. They brought in a couple of unattractive redheaded kids. We tried that for a while and that didn't work. [Producers] were like, all right, get the Olsen twins back. And that's the story."
April 18, 2015: John Stamos announced the project on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!," adding that he'd be back to produce and star in the Netflix series. When "Fuller House was confirmed, the number one question on everyone's minds was would Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen reprise their role as Michelle Tanner? (The answer at the time was simple: no. Yet, they've been toying with hearts ever since.)
April 22, 2015: Initially, Mary-Kate told Women's Wear Daily back in April that she and her sister had "just found out" about the "Full House" reboot after Stamos himself confirmed the news on late night. "I guess we’re going to talk to the creators and see what’s happening," she said.
"I ran into Bob [Saget] the other day and we didn’t even talk about it," Ashley added. She said she planned to call him to "get his perspective." (OK, Ashley totally gets brownie points for consulting her TV dad about these ~important~ matters.)
April 27, 2015: The twins' aloof comments clearly rubbed Stamos the wrong way. He tweeted, "I call bulls–t." Of course, everyone then proceeded to freak out because how could Uncle Jesse and Michelle be fighting?!
April 28, 2015: "Full House" fans breathed a sigh of relief when Stamos tweeted that he and Mary-Kate had a "sweet talk" in the wake of his "bulls--t" claims. The Internet started speculating that this meant Mary-Kate would appear on "Fuller House" as Michelle. (Even though Ashley would totally be the better choice.)
May 22, 2015: Executive producer Robert L. Boyett released a statement that confirmed our worst fears: MK+A were officially out.
"Although Ashley and Mary-Kate will not be a part of 'Fuller House,' I know how much 'Full House' has meant to them and they are still very much considered family," he said. "It has been exciting to see how they have built their professional careers, and I support their choice to focus on their fashion brands and various business endeavors. I appreciate their support and good wishes towards 'Fuller House.'"
May 23, 2015: Less than 24 hours after Boyett's statement was released, Stamos tweeted that he was "heartbroken." Which, given the timing of the sentiment was an obvious response to the Olsen twins' decision to abandon the Tanner family pass on the project.
He followed the ~emotional~ tweet with another note. "I understand they're in a different place and I wish them the best," he wrote. "I promise you will not be disappointed with our reunion and spin off!"
July 28, 2015: During his Television Critics Association's presentation, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos gave reporters a glimmer of hope when he said that Mary-Kate and Ashley, who previously confirmed they wouldn’t be appearing on the show, were "teetering" on the decision to return. However, he added, "they’re not in the current creative."
September 17, 2015: Stamos got real about the Olsen twins drama in Details. "Everybody knew about it; everybody was asked," Stamos said in the interview. "I made sure it became a favored-nations thing, so we all make the same amount. Obviously, the twins have a different thing. We're doing 13 episodes, so if they want to change their minds, we’d love to have them... but we only need one!"
OK, so Stamos confirmed that Mary-Kate and Ashley were not appearing in the revival... yet. The door is still open!
September 28, 2015: During a promotional tour for his new Fox comedy "Grandfathered," Stamos stopped by "TODAY" to clear the air (once and for all) about his relationship with the twins. "They’re fully welcome, anytime," Stamos said. "I love them... I understood why they didn’t want to come back. They have big lives, they haven't acted in a while. But I love them dearly and they’re always welcome on our show."
