Roseanne Barr‘s tweet about Valerie Jarrett prompted a firestorm of criticism, including from one of the show’s stars, Sara Gilbert, who called it “abhorrent.”
Gilbert, who played Darlene on “Roseanne” and had been largely credited with spearheading the relaunch of the sitcom, tweeted that Barr’s statements “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,” Gilbert continued. “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.”
ABC announced shortly after Gilbert tweeted that “Roseanne” had been canceled.
On Tuesday morning, Barr went on a hostile Twitter rant, attacking Jarrett, who served as a senior adviser to former President Barack Obama, among others. Shortly after Barr’s tweet about Jarrett — “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby” — the comedian deleted the tweet and issued an apology. She also wrote that she planned to quit Twitter.
“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,” Barr wrote.
However, the damage had been done. Comedian Wanda Sykes tweeted that she was quitting her job as a consulting producer on “Roseanne,” and ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey said in a statement shortly thereafter that the network was canceling the show as the direct consequence of Barr’s social media activity.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” Dungey stated.
Added Bob Iger, the chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC: “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”
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