Roseanne is officially over, ABC announced on Tuesday, May 29, following Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet earlier that morning.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment said in a statement.
In a since-deleted tweet, the Roseanne star said that White House aide Valerie Jarrett looked like a combination of “Muslim Brotherhood + Planet of the Apes.” When viewers started to call her tweet racist, she responded with, “Muslims r NOT a race.”
She later wrote, “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.”
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
However, the tweet was not enough. Writer Wanda Sykes was the first to take action, officially quitting the show. She tweeted, “I will not be returning to@RoseanneOnABC,” an hour later.
Following the news of the cancellation, the NCAAP tweeted, “.@ABCNetwork Thanks.”
The ABC comedy was initially renewed for a second season following the success of the first episodes. The premiere of the reboot raked in 18.2 million viewers, becoming the highest-rated comedy on any network since CBS’ 2014 premiere of The Big Bang Theory.
Following the backlash, Sara Gilbert, who became a producer on the reboot, tweeted about her tweet ahead of the cancellation news. “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,” she wrote. “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.”
