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BREAKING: ABC cancels ‘Roseanne’ over actress’s ‘racist’ Tweet about former Obama official
Image source: TheBlaze

BREAKING: ABC cancels ‘Roseanne’ over actress’s ‘racist’ Tweet about former Obama official

ABC has cancelled "Roseanne" after the show's namesake actress wrote a controversial tweet that many perceived as racist targeting a former Obama aide.

What's the background here?

Actress Roseanne Barr compared an aide of former President Barack Obama to an ape in a controversial series of tweets.

As a result, she faced immense backlash from social media users and her entertainment business peers alike.

Barr even "quit" Twitter after issuing an apology.

The now-deleted tweet in question read, "[M]uslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj," and pointed to former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, who is black.

After heavy criticism, Barr apologized and said that she was leaving Twitter.

She wrote, "I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter."

Moments later, she elaborated.

"I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans," Barr wrote. "I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste."

What did ABC say?

In a statement, Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, wrote, "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."

What have her peers said?

Joe Scarborough, MSNBC's "Morning Joe" co-host, addressed the controversy on Twitter and was one of those people who called for ABC to cancel Barr's show.

Scarborough wrote, "Hey @ABC, Roseanne Barr compared Valerie Jarrett to an ape. There is no apology she can make that justifies @ABC turning a blind eye to this bigotry by airing another second of her show."

"Even in the Age of Trump, there are red lines that can never be crossed," Scarborough added. "This is one."

Comedian and actress Wanda Sykes announced on Monday that she was quitting her role a consulting producer on "Roseanne."

"I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC," she wrote.

TMZ reported that Barr's tweet is "100 percent why [Sykes] quit" the show.

The outlet also reported that Sykes and Jarrett are long-time friends.

Sara Gilbert, who served as the show's executive producer, addressed the controversy shortly after ABC announced the show's cancellation.

On Twitter, Gilbert wrote, "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."

She added, "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."

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Sarah Taylor

Sarah Taylor

Sarah is a former staff writer for TheBlaze, and a former managing editor and producer at TMZ. She resides in Delaware with her family. You can reach her via Twitter at @thesarahdtaylor.

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