Roseanne Canceled At ABC Following Star's Controversial Tweet
ABC has had enough of Roseanne.
The revival of Roseanne Barr's self-titled sitcom is officially over, as ABC has announced it is canceling the series following a controversial statement from the series' star on Twitter.
The news comes from The Hollywood Reporter, who rather accurately characterized the development as "a stunning move" on ABC's part.
The statement released by ABC top brass regarding the decision left no doubt as to the reasons behind the move, drawing a straight line from Barr's Twitter comment to the network's decision to cancel the show.
"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.
On the morning of May 29, Barr tweeted a message about former Obama White House advisor Valerie Jarrett that was widely construed as being racially-charged. Specifically, Barr said the Iranian-born attorney with African-American parents was the result of mixing "Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes."
The backlash to Barr's comment was swift. First, her comment was soundly condemned on Twitter by influential celebrity commentators, including her ex-husband Tom Arnold. The pushback lead Barr to delete the message, apologize, and promise to leave Twitter.
Within hours, Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer on the Roseanne revival for the first season, announced she would not be returning to the show. By the afternoon, ABC announced it was severing ties with Barr's program.
It's a remarkable stance for the network to take following the massive success of the revived series, coming after a season of controversy regarding the show's proudly politically-incorrect content. Clearly, Barr's racially-inflected personal attack was too much for the network to tolerate, with the comment bringing consequences in what feels like record time.
Barr's comment went to the very top of the ABC organization, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. Following ABC's announcement, Disney CEO Robert Iger tweeted his own message, saying "There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing."
Sara Gilbert, a cast member and executive producer on the revived series who was instrumental in getting the series to air, also condemned Barr's comment, writing, "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."
Following the cancellation announcement, Gilbert mourned the show's ultimate fate. "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," she wrote. "One that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member."