In a dramatic plot twist, just two weeks after ABC touted Roseanne Barr and her hit revival series as the centerpiece of its Upfront presentation, the network canceled the show after Barr tweeted a vile racist statement. Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, issued a concise statement yesterday: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.” The star had apologized for saying former President Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett resembled the offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes” and said she would leave the platform on which she’s been verbose of late. But there was no unhearing or unseeing to be had. Outcry arose immediately. Producer Wanda Sykes announced she would depart the show and co-star Sara Gilbert, largely credited for bringing the series back to television, called the tweet “abhorrent” and said it does “not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show…. 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.” After Dungey announced the cancellation, Disney CEO Bob Iger added his sentiments on Twitter, noting: “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”
ABC received broad support for its swift decision to can Roseanne from, among, others, civil rights organization the NAACP. “Roseanne Barr’s comments were appalling and reminiscent of horrific time in our history when racism was not only acceptable but promoted by Hollywood,” said NAACP president/CEO Derrick Johnson. “We applaud ABC for taking a stand against racism by canceling Roseanne today. We commend the network and its president Channing Dungey for placing the values of diversity, inclusion and respect for humanity above ratings.” Roseanne exec producer/showrunner Bruce Helford, had this to say via his agent: “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.”
In further fallout for Barr, her agency ICM Partners dropped her yesterday afternoon. Disney shares ended trading yesterday the down 2.4 percent, closing at $99.69. And Laff removed the original series from its schedule, “for the time being.”
