When Bob Saget passed away unexpectedly in early 2022, the internet didn't just mourn a comedian. People mourned a dad. Specifically, the dad of the Tanner household. But while the rest of the Full House cast was constantly in the headlines, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had famously retreated into a world of high-fashion silence and cigarette-smoke-filled Parisian balconies.
People assumed there was beef.
The narrative was simple: the twins "hated" their childhood, they "hated" the show, and they definitely didn't want anything to do with their old co-stars. Why else would they skip the Fuller House reboot? But the reality of the bond between Bob Saget and the Olsen twins was actually way more grounded and, honestly, a lot sweeter than the tabloid drama suggested.
The "TV Dad" Who Actually Stayed a Dad
You have to remember, the twins were literally babies when they started. Six months old. They didn't choose the spotlight; they were born into it. While John Stamos famously admitted he once tried to get them fired because they wouldn't stop crying, Saget took a different approach. He was the one dealing with the diaper blowouts and the chaotic energy of two toddlers playing one role.
Saget once joked on Michael Rosenbaum’s Inside of You podcast that he didn’t have a "favorite" among his TV daughters. He said it was just like his own kids—whoever he was with at the moment was his favorite. That wasn't just a PR answer.
Saget was fiercely protective of them.
When the twins decided not to return for the Netflix reboot, the internet turned on them. They were called ungrateful. People said they had "forgotten where they came from." But Saget was the first one to jump to their defense. He told anyone who would listen that he didn't blame them. He basically said that if you hadn't acted since you were 17, why would you want to start again in your 30s just to satisfy a nostalgia trip?
Those Rare New York City Meetings
The twins are famously private. They don't do social media. They don't do talk shows. But they did do Bob.
Even though they lived in a completely different world—NYC fashion galas versus Saget’s Los Angeles comedy clubs—they stayed in the loop. Saget would often mention that whenever he was in New York, he’d reach out. They’d grab dinner. No cameras, no "reunion" hashtags, just actual human conversation.
It’s kind of wild to think about.
The world saw them as these untouchable icons of the 2000s, but to Bob, they were still the kids he used to carry around on set. He once mentioned that Mary-Kate and Ashley were "more like friends" as they got older because he respected the business empire they’d built. He wasn't trying to give them acting advice; he was just being a pal.
The Scleroderma Connection
If you want proof of where their loyalty lay, look at the Scleroderma Research Foundation. Saget lost his sister to the disease and spent decades raising millions for a cure.
The Olsens showed up.
Ashley Olsen was a regular at his Cool Comedy-Hot Cuisine events. In 2017, she was spotted supporting him at the fundraiser, and even when they couldn't make it in person, they’d donate high-end pieces from their label, The Row, for his auctions. That’s not what you do for someone you have "bad blood" with.
That Heartbreaking Statement in 2022
When the news broke that Saget had died in an Orlando hotel room, the "Full House" family released a joint statement. It was signed by everyone, including the twins. But Mary-Kate and Ashley also put out their own separate tribute, which was a big deal considering they almost never speak to the press.
They called him the "most loving, compassionate and generous man."
They didn't talk about him as a co-star. They talked about him as a guide. They said he would "continue to be by our side to guide us as gracefully as he always has." That’s deep. It suggests that even in their adulthood, as they navigated the cutthroat world of New York fashion, they were still looking to "Danny Tanner" for a sense of direction.
The Funeral Peace Offering
John Stamos recently shed some light on what happened behind the scenes at Saget’s funeral. Apparently, there was some tension between the twins and the rest of the cast because of the whole Fuller House snub. Stamos admitted he was "angry" for a while.
But at the funeral, everything changed.
The twins showed up. They didn't just show up; they sat with the cast. They hung out at Stamos’s house afterward. They even brought a frozen pork chop and some sage (a very "Olsen" move, apparently). They told the cast straight up: "We loved our childhood. We loved you guys."
It turns out they didn't hate the show at all. They just didn't want to be famous anymore.
Why the Bond Still Matters
We live in a culture that loves a "downfall" or a "feud." We wanted to believe the Olsens were "too cool" for Bob Saget. But the truth is much more boring and much more beautiful. They were just people who shared a very strange, very intense experience and decided to keep the love alive in private.
What can we take away from this?
- Privacy isn't animosity. Just because people don't post pictures together doesn't mean they aren't close.
- Respect the pivot. Saget showed us how to support friends who want to change their lives, even if it means they don't do what "the fans" want.
- Show up for the big stuff. The twins didn't show up for the sitcom reboot, but they showed up for the funeral. They knew what mattered.
If you're looking for a way to honor that legacy, maybe just reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while. No agenda, no "reunion" plan—just a "hey, I'm thinking of you" text. That was Saget's whole brand. He was a guy who told everyone he loved them, every single time he saw them. It's a lesson the twins clearly took to heart, even if they stayed quiet about it.
Don't let the tabloid version of celebrity relationships fool you. Sometimes, the TV dad really is the real-life dad.
Check out the Scleroderma Research Foundation if you want to support the cause that Saget and the twins championed together. It’s one of the best ways to keep that "Full House" spirit alive without needing a Netflix subscription.