Hit US sitcom axed over star’s racist tweet row

Consequently, we have notified her that we will not represent her. Effective immediately, Roseanne Barr is no longer a client.”

LOS ANGELES — US television network ABC on Tuesday canceled the hit workingclass comedy Roseanne, after its star Roseanne Barr aimed a racist tweet at a former adviser to Barack Obama.

The 65-year-old sitcom actress — a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump — took aim at the aide, Valerie Jarrett, in a post that read: “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj.”

After a barrage of criticism on social media, Barr apologized to Jarrett, who is part black, and to “all Americans” for what she called a “joke”.

“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,” she tweeted. “I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter.”

Her belated mea culpa was not enough for ABC, which said it was pulling the plug on Barr’s show over the “abhorrent, repugnant” tweet, Statement of ICM, which it said was “inconsistent with our values”.

Barr’s talent agency ICM said its teams were “greatly distressed by the disgraceful and unacceptable tweet”.

“Consequently, we have notified her that we will not represent her. Effective immediately, Roseanne Barr is no longer a client,” the agency said in a statement.

Despite vowing to quit the social media platform, Barr embarked on a spree late on Tuesday night, retweeting people who defended her against allegations of racism while saying of Jarrett: “I thought she was Saudi.”

She also retweeted a photo purporting to quote Jarrett, who was born in Iran to US parents, that she was seeking “to help change America to be a more Islamic country”. The quote was found to be false by fact-checking site Snopes.

Roseanne was rebooted in March after a gap of 21 years with Barr’s character recast as a Trump supporter.

The show had been renewed for an 11th season after scoring huge ratings and generally positive reviews for its season-10 opener — including from the president, who appreciated the new pro-Trump perspective.

Reacting to the network’s decision, Jarrett herself said she hoped it would trigger a broader discussion on racism in the United States.

“I’m fine — I’m worried about the people out there who don’t have a circle of friends and followers who come right to their defense,” Jarrett said. “I think we have to turn this into a teaching moment,” she said.

Roseanne earned $45 million in advertising revenue for ABC through its nine episodes since March, according to Kantar Media. The firm estimates that the 13 episodes that had been ordered for next season would have brought in as much as $60 million, with more through repeat episodes.

Barr’s talent agency