Skip to content
Entertainment
Link copied to clipboard

ABC cancels 'Roseanne' following Roseanne Barr's racist tweet, networks pull reruns

The part-time Media resident will not return to the ABC hit after Roseanne's comments about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett

Roseanne Barr has apologized for suggesting that former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett is a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes.” Barr on Tuesday tweeted that she was sorry to Jarrett for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. Jarrett, who is African-American, advised Barack and Michelle Obama.
Roseanne Barr has apologized for suggesting that former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett is a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes.” Barr on Tuesday tweeted that she was sorry to Jarrett for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. Jarrett, who is African-American, advised Barack and Michelle Obama.Read moreJordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File

ABC has canceled the second season of its Roseanne reboot following a racist tweet from star Roseanne Barr.

"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," said ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey in a statement.

Paramount Network, TV Land CMT, all Viacom networks, announced that they are pulling reruns of Roseanne from their schedule as well in light of Barr's comments beginning tomorrow. Laff will also pull reruns from its schedule.

>> READ MORE: I was surprised ABC canceled 'Roseanne' over tweet – here's why I shouldn't have been

Barr on Monday targeted Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, a black woman, in tweet, writing that Jarrett is the product of the "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes."

Barr later apologized for her tweet, calling it a "bad joke," and said she would be "leaving Twitter." Her account is currently still active.

>> READ MORE: Will Bunch: Real-life conspiracy nut Roseanne explains Trump better than TV's 'Roseanne'

The series cancelation came just hours after comedian and actress Wanda Sykes, who splits her time between Los Angeles and Media, announced she wouldn't be returning to Roseanne as a consulting producer. Prior to Skyes' departure, Whitney Cummings, a University of Pennsylvania alum, left her position as co-showrunner citing "work commitments and [her] tour schedule."

>> READ MORE: 'Roseanne' & Whitney Cummings: How the Penn grad helped bring ABC's long-ago hit back to TV

The Roseanne reboot was renewed for a second season back in March, and was set to feature 13 episodes compared to the most recent season's nine episodes. In April, this most recent season's premiere drew 18.4 million same-day viewers.

Jarrett, meanwhile, is in Philadelphia at the Prince Theater as part of an MSNBC town hall event dubbed "Everyday Racism in America," hosted by Joy Reid and Chris Hayes. At the event, she said that Disney CEO Bob Iger called her to tell her about the cancellation before it was announced.