After “Roseanne” star Roseanne Barr tweeted comments about Valerie Jarrett and George Soros that have been condemned as racist Tuesday morning, leading ABC to cancel the hit show outright, Barr’s costars have weighed in with regret and outrage.
“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,” tweeted “Roseanne” executive producer Sara Gilbert.
“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.”
In a statement following the cancellation, “Roseanne” showrunner Bruce Helford said he was “horrified and saddened” by Barr’s tweets.
“On behalf of all the writers and producers, we worked incredibly hard to create an amazing show. I was personally horrified and saddened by the comments and in no way do they reflect the values of the people who worked so hard to make this the iconic show that it is,” Helford said.
On Tuesday morning, Barr sent a tweet suggesting that former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett is a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes,” though she later apologized. Around the same time, Barr started an argument with Chelsea Clinton in which the actress repeated a racist and antisemitic conspiracy theory about George Soros.
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.
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.
Co-star Emma Kenney tweeted that she had called her manager to quit the show over Barr’s statements when she learned the show had been canceled. Kenney praised ABC for “standing up against abuse of power and lack of values,” adding that “bullies do not win. Ever.”
Michael Fishman, who starred as Roseanne’s son D.J. Conner on both iterations of the sitcom, seemed to back ABC’s decision to cancel the show, calling Barr’s tweets “reprehensible and intolerable.”
“I feel devastated, not for the end of the Roseanne show, but for all those who poured their hearts and souls into our jobs, and the audience that welcomed us into their homes,” he wrote. “In this moment it is important to be clear. We must stand-up against bias, hatred, bigotry and ignorance to make society a better place for all.”
Executive producer Tom Werner, whose company Carsey-Werner produces the show, also voiced support for ABC’s decision in the wake of Barr’s “reprehensible” tweets.
“Our goal was to promote constructive discussion about the issues that divide us,” he said in a statement. “It represented the work of hundreds of talented people. I hope the good work done is not totally eclipsed by these abhorrent and offensive comments, and that Roseanne seeks the help she so clearly needs.”
Barr apologized before ABC’s statement on Tuesday, saying that her statement suggesting that former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett is a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and the “Planet of the Apes” was a “joke” that 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,” Barr said. “I should have known better. Forgive me-my joke was in bad taste.”
'Roseanne' and 10 Other TV Shows and Movies That Retroactively Changed Their Continuity (Photos)
Sometimes shows and movies write themselves into a corner -- hard. That's not a problem if the series or franchise is pulling the plug for good. But with so many revivals and sequels happening today (not to mention programs that get picked up for an additional season after airing a "fauxnale") it's becoming more common to totally retcon (retroactive continuity) plot points to make things work. Here are some famous examples of writers turning back the clock, calling it "all a dream" and just literally pretending like nothing happened.
1. "Will & Grace" -- The 2006 series finale didn't leave a ton of room for a revival, what with Will (Eric McCormakc) and Grace (Debra Messing) having grown apart over a couple decades, gotten married and only reuniting in the final moments while dropping their children off at college. So, when NBC decided to bring the beloved sitcom back this fall, it was clear that ending would need to go. And it did within a matter of minutes in the premiere when Karen (Megan Mullally) explains away all that drama as a dream she had. The kids never existed, the partners were out (due to divorces) and everything was back to the status quo. Classic.
2. "Roseanne" -- First Dan (John Goodman) survived a heart attack in the final season, then it was revealed in the series finale that he'd actually died, but lived on in a novel the titular character wrote. Now, with the revival set for this spring (and the announcement it's including Goodman) we know they are going to need to retcon their retcon. Did that make sense?
3. "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" -- Joss Whedon wants to pretend his first attempt to bring Buffy to life never happened -- and so do most fans. When Whedon got the chance to execute his vision properly with the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series after bailing on the movie of the same name (based on his screenplay), he basically ignored any part of the film he hadn't agreed with. Good call.
4. "Newhart" -- This show was literally, entirely a dream. In the last two minutes of the final episode, Bob Newhart -- who’d play Dick Loudon, a Vermont innkeeper, for eight seasons -- wakes up in a strangely familiar bedroom. “Honey, wake up, you won’t believe the dream I just had,” he says to Suzanne Pleshette, who played his wife, Emily, on the '70s sitcom "The Bob Newhart Show." So that entire wacky show was retconned into never existing and just being a dream of Newhart's on his previous series. Yeah.
5. "Star Trek" -- Iconic villains-turned allies the Klingons debuted in 1966 as, due to makeup effects limitations, basically guys with tans and goatees. However, in 1979's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," set 5 years after the original series, they received the forehead ridges they're known for. No one commented on the change in subsequent films and it was taken for granted audiences were supposed to pretend they were always like that. Until 1996, when "Deep Space Nine,' set 100 years later, confirmed that old school Klingons really did look different during the Original Series era (the explanation was provided in 2005 by "Star Trek: Enterprise.") But now comes 2017's "Star Trek: Discovery," set just 10 years before the events of the original series. This time, the Klingons look nothing like the original or forehead ridge versions with -- you guessed it -- no explanation given.
6. "St. Elsewhere" -- The staff of St. Eligius Hospital in Boston only exist in the mind of an autistic boy who imagined the NBC drama took place in his snow globe. No, seriously.
7. "Dallas" -- Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) was literally DEAD on this show for an entire season before he was brought back in a very bizarre way. His wife finds him in the shower and suddenly realizes that whole chunk of series was a dream. The was more than a little trippy for fans of the primetime CBS soap.
CBS
8. "Prison Break" -- Apparently, anything is possible on this Fox series. Even bringing people back to life who have electrocuted or been decapitated -- on screen. But, you know, the CIA gets involved, papier-mâché heads. It's all good.
9. "Charmed" -- In the seventh season finale of this long-running WB series about a trio of magical sisters, the girls "killed" themselves off so they could escape their duties as the Charmed Ones. Because the show picked up an unexpected eighth season in the eleventh hour, the writers were forced to find a way to bring them back to the craft. Their solution? Have Homeland Security take responsibility for the cover-up. Works for us!
10. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" -- Remember how Professor Charles Xavier and Magneto died in "X-Men: The Last Stand"? Oh, you do? Why? Cause they didn't. Boom!
11. "Deadpool" -- Honestly, the entire Ryan Reynolds-led superhero series can be considered a retcon. Same actor from "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"? Check. Same character from that universe? Bingo. But they 100 percent pretend his introduction in the 2009 flick never happened.
Will and Grace didn’t have kids and Dan didn’t die — basically everything you knew is a lie
Sometimes shows and movies write themselves into a corner -- hard. That's not a problem if the series or franchise is pulling the plug for good. But with so many revivals and sequels happening today (not to mention programs that get picked up for an additional season after airing a "fauxnale") it's becoming more common to totally retcon (retroactive continuity) plot points to make things work. Here are some famous examples of writers turning back the clock, calling it "all a dream" and just literally pretending like nothing happened.