ABC Cancels "Roseanne" After Barr's Racist Tweet
NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - ABC has canceled its hit reboot of "Roseanne" following Roseanne Barr's racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.
ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey says the comment "is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel the show."
The "Roseanne" revival this spring was an unexpected major hit for ABC. It was particularly popular among many conservative viewers because Barr's character, just like she does in real life, expressed support for President Donald Trump.
Barr's tweet suggested that Jarrett is a product of the Muslim brotherhood and the "Planet of the Apes."
She later apologized "for making a bad joke."
Comic Wanda Sykes, who is a consulting producer on "Roseanne," had already tweeted that she would not be returning to the show.
I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC.
— Wanda Sykes (@iamwandasykes) May 29, 2018
Later in the day, Barr was dropped by her agents over the racist tweet that led to the cancellation of her TV show.
ICM Partners said in a statement Tuesday that Barr's tweet was "disgraceful," "unacceptable" and "antithetical to our core values."
The company says it has ended its relationship with Barr "effective immediately."
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)