ABC cancels 'Roseanne' following Roseanne Barr's racially-charged tweet

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY




Update: Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, issued a statement Tuesday saying the show has been canceled in response to Roseanne Barr's tweets.

"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," the statement read.

Wanda Sykes says she is pulling out as consulting producer on the Roseanne reboot after lead Roseanne Barr took aim at former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett on Twitter.

Barr made a racially-charged comment Tuesday, which has now been deleted, 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.

Hours later, 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."

But that didn't stop Wanda Sykes from sharing a short and simple message of disproval.

"I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC," she wrote on Twitter the same day.

Sykes wasn't the only person who disapproved of Barr's comments, the tweets sparked reaction on the social media site from many who criticized her and ABC for allowing her self-titled show to continue.

USA TODAY has reached out to ABC for comment.

Actor Don Cheadle called out racism in Barr's tweets.

"you can take @RoseanneOnABC out of racism but you can’t take the racism out of @therealroseanne," he said.

NBC's Joe Scarborough also spoke up about the controversy.

"Hey @ABC, Roseanne Barr compared Valerie Jarrett to an ape. There is no apology she can make that justifies @ABC turning a blind eye to this bigotry by airing another second of her show," he tweeted. "Even in the Age of Trump, there are red lines that can never be crossed. This is one."

As did actress Patricia Arquette.

"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," she wrote.

Roseanne co-star Sara Gilbert 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."

Writer Danny Zucker 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."

Some used the opportunity to comment on inequalities they see in the network's programming.

"Roseanne has been a garbage person for years. This ain't new, and @ABC doesn't care...because ratings over everything, amirite?" one user tweeted. "(except when it comes to talking about the NFL on Blackish, I guess)."

"@abcnetworks should have shelved Roseanne instead of the #Blackish #TakeAKnee episode," another said. "They should release both: release the episode to the public, release Roseanne from her contract."

Some tweeted their support for the actress, including English media personality Katie Hopkins.

"Never apologise @therealroseanne It only encourages the (expletive). Stand Strong," she wrote with the hashtag #MAGA (Make America Great Again).

Rosie O'Donnell called Barr's tweets "racist" and "childish" but overall seemed to accept the fellow actress's apology.

"i love roseanne quite a bit... the comment roseanne tweeted was racist and childish and beneath her best self she has apologized... twitter is a dangerous place," she tweeted.

Actor Tom Arnold, who played Arnie Thomas in the orginial Roseanne series, 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 wrote. "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."

This isn't the first time Barr has taken heat for her controversial views and pro-Trump statements. She returned to Twitter in March after taking a break from the social media site in December following an online feud with people who responded harshly to her tweets praising President Trump and criticizing his election foe, Hillary Clinton, and former president Obama.

The Roseanne reboot has also received backlash for some of its controversial jokes, including jabs at at minority-led series Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat.

The show, which attracted a whopping 18.2 million viewers in its return to ABC in March after a 21-year absence, also stirred debate in the comedian community, including a Twitter debate between star comedians Kumail Nanjiani, Billy Eichner and Sarah Silverman the same month.

[Muddy]

Wow that was fast..

[lost in melb.]

How many times would you have lost your job if you were in showbiz, Muddy?

[DemonGeminiX]

If she had made a joke about some white person's looks in the Trump administration, she would have been held up as the next coming of Jesus.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

Exactly right.

[lost in melb.]

If she had made a joke about some white person's looks in the Trump administration, she would have been held up as the next coming of Jesus.

Yeah, but Trump supporters aren't a repressed minority




Hmmmm, hold on a minute

[Godfather]

Roseanne Barr’s vicious personal attack on former Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett came out of nowhere and cost Ms. Barr and the entire staff of her program their jobs. @ABC/@Disney could not continue with the show without insulting millions of Americans.
— Bill O'Reilly (@BillOReilly) May 29, 2018

[Muddy]

How many times would you have lost your job if you were in showbiz, Muddy?

None.. I choose my battles more wisely..

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Gregg Re | Fox News




Less than 14 hours after following up a racist tweet by writing, "I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter," Roseanne Barr was back on the social media platform late Tuesday.

In a series of late-night tweets, Barr appeared to blame the prescription sleeping pill Ambien for the racist tweet that led to her show's cancellation Tuesday. She also repeatedly criticized ABC for what she implied is the network's hypocrisy.

guys I did something unforgiveable so do not defend me. It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible. I made a mistake I wish I hadn't but...don't defend it please. ty
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018

"guys I did something unforgiveable so do not defend me," she wrote in one post Tuesday night. "It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible. I made a mistake I wish I hadn't but...don't defend it please. ty."

ABC canceled Barr's widely popular reboot of "Roseanne," her hit 1988-1997 comedy series, shortly after the star posted a racist tweet about former President Barack Obama's aide Valerie Jarrett.

The rebooted show became an instant hit March 27, when the first episode attracted more than 18 million viewers.

I think Joe Rogan is right about ambien. Not giving excuses for what I did(tweeted) but I've done weird stuff while on ambien-cracked eggs on the wall at 2am etc -
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018

Barr doubled down on appearing to blame Ambien two hours later: "I think Joe Rogan is right about ambien. Not giving excuses for what I did(tweeted) but I've done weird stuff while on ambien-cracked eggs on the wall at 2am etc -."

Don't feel sorry for me, guys!!-I just want to apologize to the hundreds of people,and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet. I will be on Joe Rogan's podcast friday.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018

"Don't feel sorry for me, guys!!" Barr also tweeted, before discouraging people from boycotting ABC. "I just want to apologize to the hundreds of people,and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet. I will be on Joe Rogan's podcast friday."

I'm sorry 4 my tweet, AND I will also defend myself as well as talk to my followers. so, go away if u don't like it. I will handle my sadness the way I want to. I'm tired of being attacked & belittled more than other comedians who have said worse.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018

Earlier Tuesday evening, Barr also retweeted several posts from a variety of other Twitter users, including some that contained doctored images and incorrect information.

One of the fake images that Barr recirculated depicted Whoopi Goldberg wearing a violently anti-Trump shirt. Barr quickly deleted that retweet.

Barr also retweeted a fake image of Jarrett's Stanford yearbook quote, in which she purportedly says she wants to make the U.S. a more Islamic country. Barr later retweeted corrections from people who pointed out the photo was fake.

The comedian also posted several retweets that highlighted perceived hypocrisy by Disney, the parent company of ABC and ESPN.

"Not repugnant according to @WaltDisneyCo," read one post that Barr retweeted, referring to angry anti-Trump comments by Keith Olbermann, who recently returned to ESPN.

Barr also highlighted anti-Christian comments by Joy Behar, a co-host of ABC's "The View."

"Joy Behar mocked Mike Pence’s faith on The View and said that the way he prayed to Jesus was 'mental illness,'" read another post that Barr retweeted. "She didn’t apologize until a month later. ABC was silent. Roseanne‏"

In other posts, Barr retweeted apparent defenses of her racist comment concerning Jarrett's appearance.

"I look like a monkey. Why?" began one of the posts. "My DNA is 96% similar to a monkey's. It makes scientific sense. But due to emotions, double standards & feelings science is cancelled this year. There are 5,000 genders & if you don't agree with me you're a racist xenophobe."

[PorkChopSandwiches]

Ambien will make you do weird shit if you stay up instead of lay down. I freaked my wife out one day when I misjudged how much time I had until bed

[Pony]

I didn't care 20 years ago and I don't care now.