(ABC / Image Group LA)
Well, that was quick. In the wake of Roseanne Barr’s racist, early morning tweet about Valerie Jarrett (former adviser to President Obama), ABC has cancelled the Roseanne TV show revival. There will be no season 11, despite the fact that it received an early renewal, in late March. ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey released the following statement about the Roseanne cancellation: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.” ABC Publicity posted the statement on its verified Twitter account.
A family comedy on the ABC television network, Roseanne first ran for nine seasons, between 1988 and 1997. Original stars Roseanne Barr, John Goodman, Sara Gilbert, Laurie Metcalf, Michael Fishman, Alicia Goranson, and Sarah Chalke returned for the high-rated revival, alongside newcomers Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara, and Jayden Rey. Returning guest stars include Johnny Galecki, Sarah Bernhard, Estelle Parsons, James Pickens Jr., Natalie West, and Adilah Barnes. The sitcom centers on working-class couple Roseanne and Dan Conner (Barr and Goodman), their family, and friends.
Not only was the Roseanne cancellation swift, the network promptly removed all the show photography from its press site. The above image, from the 2018 Winter TCA Press Tour was one of the handful of pictures that came up in an advanced site search on Barr’s name. The only other time this reporter has seen ABC PR photos disappear that quickly, is when Mario Batali was fired from The Chew.
The show “Roseanne” was canceled Tuesday, hours after Roseanne Barr, lead actress in the rebooted sitcom, faced a public storm of criticism with a tweet calling a former presidential adviser to President Barack Obama a product of an Islamic group and a character from “Planet of the Apes.”
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” said Channing Dungey, the president of ABC Entertainment, in a statement.
ABC television group and ABC News are both owned by Disney.
[…]Early Tuesday morning, Barr commented on Twitter: “Muslim Brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” She later deleted the tweet and apologized.
Barr was referring to Valerie Jarrett — an African American woman, lawyer and longstanding senior adviser to former President Barack Obama. Her comparison of Jarrett to an ape and the assertion that she has a connection to the organization Muslim Brotherhood, which she does not, sparked immediate anger on social media.
(Twitter screengrab via ABC News)
Barr tweeted a bit more on the subject and insisted her earlier tweet was a joke and wasn’t racist, as Islam is not a race. That claim, of course, ignores the religious bigotry, as well as the racist practice of comparing People of Color to apes, etc.
(Twitter screengrab)
Barr later deleted those tweets and issued an apology in two tweets (one; two) that read as rather forced. [NOTE: in the following photo, the tweet on top is the newer one. The earliest “apology” only read, “I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter.”]
(Twitter screengrab)
Wanda Sykes, who was a consulting producer on the sitcom, announced her decision to resign from the Roseanne production, after the tweet-storm, but prior to the cancellation.
I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC.
— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) May 29, 2018
Disney CEO Bob Iger weighed in on the cancellation, backing up Dungey’s cancellation decision.
From Channing Dungey, President of ABC Entertainment: "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."
There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.— Robert Iger (@RobertIger) May 29, 2018
Sara Gilbert, who played original Roseanne character Darlene, and was an executive producer on the reboot, reacted both to Barr’s tweet, and to the cancellation.
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
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.
— sara gilbert (@THEsaragilbert) May 29, 2018
Earlier in the day, Barr had targeted Chelsea Clinton with false intimations that the former First Daughter was married to a nephew of progressive benefactor George Soros. Clinton corrected her, directly. Barr issued an “apology” with another sideswipe at Clinton and her actual husband (and family), and then made false allegations against Soros, directly.
(Twitter screengrab)
(Twitter screengrab)
(Twitter screengrab)
Regarding Barr’s Soros’ slams, and more, Deadline reports:
Roseanne also noted, “By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that? But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?”
Soros was born in 1930.
Today’s tweets aren’t even the first time Barr has called an African American women an ape. In 2013, she called Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice “a man with big swinging ape balls
What do you think? Did ABC do the right thing by cancelling the Roseanne TV series revival? Let us know, below.
I loved the Rosanne show coming back. I am very sorry that remark was made by Rosanne, but the whole show shouldn’t be punished for that, the other stars and the people who work behind the the set.
There’s no way of getting around it. You can’t have a show called “Roseanne” without the reason why the show was revived to begin with. And it’s probably in Barr’s contract that “Roseanne” is an exclusive use of her first name, which means no one else can step into the role or ABC continue with a series that was created because of her persona. There is no guaranteed employment and income when you work in television. The count of how many TV series have been cancelled with the people who worked in them left jobless is innumerable. There are always… Read more »
Gee. ABC/Disney didn’t know about Roseanne Barr’s behaviour on social media BEFORE they decided to bring her show back? They didn’t know how low she stooped to insult people she disliked or disagreed with? They didn’t know she had a history of racist and xenophobic tweets, and promoting conspiracy theories? They only came to terms with this because of her latest rants? ABC and Disney are hypocrites.
Very disappointed!!! I was enjoying the show and wasn’t happy to discover it was cancelled and substituted by the other show that I can’t stand at all! I didn’t agree with all the content but I felt it spoke to different point of views on different topics and the story lines were growing my interest. However I am appalled with Barr’s comments and feel action should be taken. She should be fired but bring the rest of the cast back to entertain. Gilbert, Goodman and others kept my interest and are really funny! I hope to see some announcements soon… Read more »
I don’t think this show would be the same without her. She should perhaps have kept her opinions to herself, but I don’t care for those people either. I would like to see the show continue. I still watch some movies with stars who have been anti Semitic in their statements, or against the administration in an openly foul way, but they are still good actors and entertainers despite their views
I was looking forward to show doing well. Enjoyed it in the formal years as well in the present. Hate that the show to be cancelled because of one person of the cast bad behavior and beliefs. Going to miss the show and wish someone can take Barr’s place.
It’s such a shame that Roseanne had to make that statement. I was already in love with the reboot. I sure hope she learns how her words affect other people. Maybe someday they’ll give it another shot I hope, but I understand.
I am happy to see ABC do the right thing. Roseanne is a disgusting, racist bigot. Thank you ABC!
So, Clay Crawford was abusive to women who felt unsafe around him on the set of Lethal Weapon, yet I was the only one who took the network’s side in firing him as Riggs! People wept and cried that the Network was stupid and they would not watch the show with a replacement. WTH is the difference? Here, you all are agreeing with the network over WORDS?? Crawford was proven to be verbally abusive to women on the set and possibly a rascist toward Damon Wayans who played Murtaugh. But here you all are one-stepping it against Roseanne over a… Read more »
Glad that the show is gone..racist comments have no place on TV, Twitter or anywhere else. I do feel bad for the rest of the cast and those others involved in the show though..hope they can move on from this and create something wonderful without the hateful, racist, small-minded mindset.
I have to say that people like FARRAKHAN got up in public and said terrible not true things about Jews and people in the audience clapped. Reverand Wright said awful things about America, and Obama stayed in the church until he realized it would not be a good political move. I am not a racist because I can’t say anything good about any of them. Most people don’t know about Soros’s past and I avoid the Dinosaur BBQ because he is owner or part owner. Similarly one can always change the channel. I guess I cannot put Roseanne in that… Read more »
Love the show and just like everything else some people are just looking for something to find wrong with it people need to go on with their own BS and let us decide , if u don’t like her simply don’t watch but for us who like her and all the cast it’s our choice people are petty.
I wonder if they will give Darlene a spinoff. The new season seemed like it was passing the torch on to her. And you got Becky as the crazy aunt.. and occasional visits from David (when the schedules allow)… It’d touch on single motherhood that many experience. I can watch that.
If it was about trump, nothing would been done.
You have some nerve saying that. Trump spews bs all day everyday without consequences. Why don’t you find blame in her stupidity to tweet bigot garbage statements instead of giving her a pass but from the sound of it you do the same to the orange cheeto.
You’re reading the wrong information from me. Don’t come here and saw people. Because the different views hear it. Nobody’s taking your rights away. What happened is a shame but what’s worse is how people extrude the wrong information
canceling it was a big mistake. great show. suspending her? sure. bring it back!
That’s right ,people can’t make their own decisions anymore someone is always making decisions for others.
Since when do people do this? The is full of cry babies if things don’t go their way. Or express and belittle others because they understand ones right to express personal views. But again if trump made statement nothing would been . They be attracting Trump……People are Twofaced people these days.
Freedom of speech is just that but it doesn’t mean that there wont be consequences for what you said especially when it comes to your employment. I think she got what she deserves. Roseanne is out of control with her bigotry and nasty views. Maybe now Trump can give her a job in the white house since she loves the moron so much.
Well bye bye ABC–I am finished with anything on your network. It is just peachy when your leftwing agenda is being lauded–but God forbid there should be an opposing view. And she DID apologize btw.
It doesn’t matter that she apologized, its the fact that she said it in the first place. The things that she spews come from a dark place and bigotry shouldn’t be tolerated. She could feel n think whatever she likes in private but shes really stupid to tweet it. Remind you of anyone that Idiotic? why don’t you find fault in her actions and not ABC’s
Be careful when being unforgiving to an apology. It may happen to you someday. If it does happen, and I hope that it doesn’t. Just remember your feelings posted here. By the way…I’ve never been a Roseanne fan.
I used to be a fan of Whoopi Goldberg. I don’t watch her on the View anymore; I don’t care for her rhetoric. But I’ll watch her old movies because she was GOOD! If Roseanne comes back, I’ll watch her too. She made me laugh and not too many people make me laugh these days.
I hardly watch mainstream channels like ABC anymore.I did enjoy Roseanne’s show. I probably won’t be watching much on ABC but I won’t say I’ll NEVER watch, only if I see something worth watching and that doesn’t happen all that often.
I can’t believe Roseanne said those thing, she is ridiculous.