ABC Cancels ‘Roseanne’ After Roseanne Barr’s Racist Tweet
The Roseanne reboot is done after one season. ABC took swift action to cancel the sitcom on Tuesday, May 29, after its star, Roseanne Barr, posted a racist tweet about former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC president Channing Dungey said in a statement.
Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger added on Twitter, “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”
The tweet in question, which has since been deleted, read: “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” The “VJ” refers to Valerie Jarrett, who is Black.
Backlash to the comment was swift and fierce, prompting Barr’s colleagues on the series to distance themselves from her views. Consulting producer Wanda Sykes announced earlier on Tuesday that she would not be returning to the show, and Sara Gilbert, who plays Barr’s daughter, called her TV mom’s tweet “abhorrent.”
“Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least,” Gilbert wrote on Twitter. “This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love — one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.”
Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least.
— sara gilbert (@THEsaragilbert) May 29, 2018
Barr initially tried to defend what she’d written as “a joke,” but has since tweeted an apology. “I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans,” she wrote. “I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste.”
The Roseanne revival had previously been renewed for a second season in March.
(photo via Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
