The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) has cancelled the revitalized TV sitcom Roseanne due to racist, despicable comments from the show’s main star, Roseanne Barr.
New episodes of Roseanne premiered on ABC March 27, 2018, after twenty years off of television. Despite the gap, the show was a hit with viewers. The tenth season premiere had 18 million viewers and the season finale had 10 million viewers, according to CNN.
President Donald Trump also called Barr to congratulate since herself in real life and her character on the show are both supporters of the president. The show was also renewed for a eleventh season in the fall of 2018.
This Tuesday ABC has changed its mind and has decided to cancel the show despite its success due to the actions of Barr.
Barr on her Twitter mocked the looks of Valerie Jarrett, advisor to former president Barack Obama. Her tweet that she removed off her account read, “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”
Barr later apologized for her behavior, intending for her tweet to be a good joke.
Before the show was cancelled, a producer for the show, Wanda Sykes tweeted that she would not be returning to the show. Soon after ABC officially decided to cancel the show.
“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.
Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger supported the cancellation, saying that “there was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”
Overall, the decision was met with positivity on social media and cast members from Roseanne disapproved of Barr’s behavior and do not consider it a representation of everyone behind the show.
The cancellation of Roseanne shows a change in Hollywood and business. Success may no longer be a shield to disrespectful behavior.
