‘Roseanne’ canceled
ABC denounces star’s racist tweets.
ABC has canceled its hit reboot Roseanne after lead Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets Tuesday about former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Channing Dungey, head of ABC Entertainment, issued a statement to USA TODAY denouncing Barr’s comment hours after her apology failed to halt a backlash led by many, including the show’s consulting producer, Wanda Sykes.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” the statement read.
Barr’s agency, ICM Partners, said in a statement Tuesday that Barr’s tweet was “disgraceful,” ”unacceptable” and “antithetical to our core values,” according to the Associated Press. The company said it has ended its relationship with Barr “effective immediately.”
Barr’s comment, which has now been deleted, was sent in response to a tweet that accused Jarrett of helping “hide” misdeeds for the Obama administration. “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” Barr wrote, using Jarrett’s initials. Jarrett, 61, is African American and worked for Obama from 2009 to 2017.
Barr apologized for the tweet, describing it as “a bad joke.”
“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks,” Barr said. “I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste.”
The comedy returned to ABC in March, two decades after it ended its run from 1988 to 1997. It reunited the original cast, including John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert.
The much-awaited 10th season’s two-episode opener attracted 18.2 million viewers in preliminary Nielsen ratings, making it the season’s top premiere. ABC quickly ordered another season.
But the show has been beset by controversy. Dealing with hot-button issues such as health care, Social Security and opioid addiction, the reboot was criticized for some of its pointed jokes,
including jabs at minority-led series Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat.
Most of the dissent has been focused on the show’s star. Barr only recently returned to Twitter following a break from the social media site after a feud in December with people who responded harshly to her tweets praising President Trump and criticizing Hillary Clinton.
While Barr received a congratulatory call from Trump after the heated exchange, even then, fellow comedians were left with mixed feelings.
Sykes was the first to announce she’d pull out of the show Tuesday with a simple message of disapproval.
“I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC,” she wrote on Twitter.
Gilbert, who plays Darlene Conner on the show, also denounced Barr’s comments.
“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,” she tweeted. “I am disappointed in her actions to say the least.”
Emma Kenney, who plays Darlene’s eldest child, Harris Conner-Healy, shared her disapproval.
“I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable,” she wrote.
Writer Danny Zuker also tweeted his disapproval.
“I wrote on the original “Roseanne” where we used to denounce nativism, racism & homophobia. Nauseating to see what she’s become,” he wrote. “Looking forward to continue not watching this show.”
Actor Don Cheadle called out the apparent racism in Barr’s tweets:
“you can take @RoseanneOnABC out of racism but you can’t take the racism out of @therealroseanne.”
Actress Patricia Arquette also spoke up: “I am repulsed that Valerie Jarret had that racist and bigoted ‘joke’ made at her expense and I am sickened that any Black or Muslim person has to keep hearing this sickness in 2018.”
Some tweeted their support for the actress, including British media personality Katie Hopkins.
“Never apologise @therealroseanne It only encourages the (expletive). Stand Strong,” she wrote with the hashtag #MAGA.
Rosie O’Donnell called Barr’s tweets “racist” and “childish” but overall appeared to accept the actress’ apology.
Actor Tom Arnold, who played Arnie Thomas in the original Roseanne, also weighed in. “Anyone who worked on “Roseanne” 88’-94’ knows there’s a 50% chance Rosey calls me today & tells me to go fire Donald Trump,” he tweeted. “They also know there’s 100% chance I’d show up at the White House, give him 5 mins to say goodbye & get his crap before I through him & it out the window.”