It turns out that some actions really do have consequences.
Roseanne Barr’s racially charged tweet about former Barack Obama advisor Valerie Jarrett prompted ABC to cancel the highly rated sitcom, and a slew of distributors followed suit, saying they would no longer air reruns of “Roseanne.” CMT, TV Land, and the Paramount Network have all announced they will no longer air reruns of the show.
The fallout comes after Barr responded to a Twitter thread about Jarrett on Tuesday morning, saying “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”
Her comments drew huge criticism online, and caused other “Roseanne” cast members to distance themselves from the sitcom’s titular star. Before news of the cancelation, consulting producer Wanda Sykes said she wouldn’t return for the following season. For her part, Jarrett said that Barr’s comments can be turned into a “teachable moment.”
“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks,” Barr said later Tuesday morning. “I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste.” But her apology wasn’t enough; her home network found her Twitter statement “abhorrent” and “repugnant.”
See below for a running list of all who dropped Barr and her show on Tuesday.
ABC
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey said in a statement to TheWrap on Tuesday.
Dungey’s boss Bob Iger applauded the decision: “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing,” he tweeted.
CMT, TV Land, Paramount Network
The Viacom-owned networks CMT, TV Land, and the Paramount Network will cease to air “Roseanne” reruns, an individual with knowledge of the decision told TheWrap on Tuesday. The networks will fill the now-open time slots with a mix of original series and other acquired programming, and the syndication scheduling change will go into effect on Wednesday.
Laff
“While we believe viewers have always distinguished the personal behavior of the actress Roseanne Barr from the television character Roseanne Conner, we are disgusted by Barr’s comments this week,” a Laff spokesperson told TheWrap. “Therefore, we are removing the original ‘Roseanne’ series from the Laff schedule for the time being, effective immediately.”
Hulu
Hulu also dropped episodes of the “Roseanne” revival on Tuesday. “We support ABC’s decision and are removing the show from Hulu,” a spokesperson for the streaming platform said in a statement to TheWrap.
ICM
ICM Partners dropped Barr as a client on Tuesday after her tweets.
“We are all greatly distressed by the disgraceful and unacceptable tweet from Roseanne Barr this morning,” ICM said in a statement to TheWrap Tuesday. “What she wrote is antithetical to our core values, both as individuals and as an agency. Consequently, we have notified her that we will not represent her. Effective immediately, Roseanne Barr is no longer a client.”