Roseanne’s Shocking Tirade and the Fall Out

Roseanne Barr issued a shocking series of tweets Monday night and Tuesday before quitting the social media service. In response, ABC cancelled the reboot of her titular show.

Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment said: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”

• The series reboot had been averaging a 5.5 rating among adults 18-49 and 19.3 million viewers.
• Among the bizarre allegations Barr made: falsely claiming Chelsea Clinton is married to George Soros‘ nephew, repeating the false rumor that Soros is a Nazi sympathizer and lacing into President Obama‘s former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett and claiming she is connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.
• One tweet went even further: “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” Barr wrote, using Jarrett’s initials. When users called her out for being a racist, she tweeted: “Muslims r NOT a race.”
• Barr then later said the first tweet was a “joke.” Soon after, she apologized, tweeting: “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.”
• Several social media users and celebrities immediately called for Barr’s ouster from ABC.
• “The comparison by Rosanne [sic] Barr on ABC of Former Obama aide, Valerie Jarrett to an APE is racist and inexcusable. ABC must take action NOW!,” Rev. Al Sharpton tweeted.
• “I am repulsed that Valerie Jarret [sic] 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,” Patricia Arquette tweeted.
• “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. Even in the Age of Trump, there are red lines that can never be crossed. This is one,” Joe Scarborough tweeted.
• Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer for the show, quit in protest over Barr’s comments, before ABC had a chance to cancel the show.