'Roseanne' Canceled After Star's Racially Charged Tweet About Valerie Jarrett
ABC has canceled "Roseanne" after its star posted racially charged tweets.
“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 Tuesday.
The cancellation comes a day after star Roseanne Barr shot off a racially charged tweet aimed at a former aide to President Obama. It came in response to an online claim that Obama spied on French presidential candidates while he was commander in chief.
Barr posted that Valerie Jarrett looks like "Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes had a baby." The tweet was later deleted.
After the tweet, comic Wanda Sykes, who is a consulting producer and writer on the sitcom revival, announced she would not be returning to the show.
I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC.
— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) May 29, 2018
Barr apologized Tuesday morning following intense backlash and said it was "a joke" and "in bad taste."
I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. 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.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 29, 2018
She also announced she was leaving Twitter.
I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 29, 2018
Her co-star, Sarah Gilbert slammed the comments on Twitter.
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
On Tuesday afternoon, Jarrett addressed the controversy at a town hall appearance for MSNBC where she said she was "fine" and saw the situation as a way to turn it "into a teaching moment."
.@ValerieJarrett responds to Roseanne Barr's tweet, saying Disney’s chairman called her before announcing that ABC was canceling the show: "This should be a teaching moment.” #EverydayRacism pic.twitter.com/b0EvA8WAeY
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) May 29, 2018
"Avengers: Infinity War" actor Don Cheadle also responded to the controversy, saying, “You can take @RoseanneOnABC out of racism but you can’t take the racism out of @therealroseanne."
The Rev. Al Sharpton said Barr’s comments were racist and ABC must "take action."
The comparison by Rosanne Barr on ABC of Former Obama aide, Valerie Jarrett to an APE is racist and inexcusable. ABC must take action NOW!
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) May 29, 2018
Actress Patricia Arquette said she was “repulsed” by Barr’s so-called "joke."
Even Barr’s former husband, actor Tom Arnold, took to Twitter to slam her tweet as "dangerous."
@brianstelter that's funny. ABC execs figured out a way to control me. They blocked me from promoting anything on ABC because I called out Roseanne Barr & her dangerous tweets. @GMA https://t.co/Q0BbE4uhhg
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) May 29, 2018
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