Controversy… this is the word perhaps most associated with Roseanne Barr nowadays. Barr’s antisemitic comments on Theo Von’s podcast in June 2023 (which may, or may not have been intended sarcastically) were bookended by vicious stereotypes that are harmful to the Jewish community worldwide during a time when reported hate crimes are at the highest since before WW2.
Of course, Roseanne Barr’s most famous controversy was the racist Tweet that got her turfed from the revamp of the ’80s sitcom she made famous. Ever since the acclaimed comedian has gone further and further down the rabbit hole of extremism. At least according to many of her former colleagues, including her on-screen daughter, Sara Gilbert.
But before all of this, Roseanne Barr was synonymous with another word… trailblazer. Without a doubt, Barr was one of the most important, talented, and successful women in comedy. And it was outlandishly lucrative for her. So much so that her insane sitcom salary may have gotten in the way of her career…
Did Roseanne Barr’s Behind The Scenes Controversies End Her Career?
There was a time when Roseanne Barr was so famous that she even had her very own talk show. On which, she conducted an assortment of newsworthy interviews, including when she held Ike Turner accountable for his horrific treatment of the late Tina Turner.
It was brave, the right thing to do, and brutally honest. But that was exactly what one expected from Barr, who constantly ruffled feathers while representing the working class on her sitcom and giving copious future talents their first gigs; this includes both Joss Whedon and Amy Sherman-Paladino whose first writing jobs were on Roseanne.
While millions of people tuned in to the sitcom which she co-created with Matt Williams, produced, wrote, and starred in, Roseanne Barr was constantly battling executives at ABC. Whenever they didn’t like something, she fired back with unparalleled fury.
According to The Los Angeles Times, a feud between Barr and Williams also cost the latter his job after the 13th episode aired. But this feud allegedly involved the fact that Barr didn’t get an official “created by” credit alongside Williams, even though the entire show was based on a character that she created.
Behind-the-scenes stories during the making of the original run of Roseanne are legendary. Most of which involve Barr fighting for what she felt was the integrity of the show. According to Good Housekeeping, at least one of these fights involved Barr threatening to “cut” a producer with a pair of scissors.
Due to Roseanne Barr’s rather constant feud with the executives, various producers, and production team, ABC threatened to fire her from her show multiple times. Of course, this didn’t end up happening. But controversies continued to surround Barr, including her notorious and purposefully horrible rendition of the national anthem at a San Diego Padres game in 1990.
These controversies, however, didn’t stop Roseanne Barr from being seen as a “working class hero” and a trailblazer for women in comedy. Nor did it stop her from getting her very own (albeit short-lived) talk show, The Roseanne Show, and an even more short-lived reality show, The Real Roseanne Show.
She did not, however, get another lead role in a sitcom until the revival of Roseanne in 2018. And her previous success may have had something to do with it.
What Was Roseanne Barr’s Salary On Roseanne?
While Roseanne Barr was busy with her stand-up career, reality shows, and a few guest-starring roles on other shows, she did not get another sitcom after the original Roseanne concluded. That is, of course, except for her brief revival of the character in 2018 before the Valerie Jarett Tweets got her canceled from Hollywood.
There are many reasons why Barr didn’t star in another sitcom, unlike many of her contemporaries. And it may be because of her outrageous salary.
The original Roseanne ran from October 1988 until May 1997. It was a total of 10 seasons and featured over 200 episodes, many of which were seen as groundbreaking for television at the time. Mostly because they tackled a lot of issues and featured voices that simply weren’t explored on television at the time. Because of this, it was one of the most successful sitcoms on TV and of all time.
So, of course, Roseanne Barr’s salary as writer, co-creator, executive producer, and the show’s leading star was suitably massive. While her salary had very modest roots, by the end of the show’s run she was pulling in around $1 million per episode. According to Variety, this happened after Roseanne earned global syndication. By the final season, Celebrity Net Worth claims she earned $21 million a year on the show alone.
Much like what happened to Ray Romano following the financial success of Everybody Loves Raymond, this would have made it nearly impossible for other sitcoms to hire her. Roseanne Barr’s fee and market value were just too large. Who could afford it?
Roseanne accounts for the vast majority of Roseanne Barr’s current net worth of $80 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Although she could have earned so much more…
When Rosanne Barr was offered a return to the world of sitcoms, she (alongside co-star John Goodman) was reportedly offered $250,000 per episode of the 2018 revival of Roseanne, according to Variety.
The rebooted first season of the now-canceled show featured nine episodes, meaning that Barr earned around $2.25 million before taxes and fees. ABC ordered another 13 episodes before Roseanne was fired and subsequently killed off from her show. Meaning that Roseanne lost another $3.25 million, and potentially so much more if the show had continued.
Since then, it’s been almost impossible for Roseanne Barr to get any work. But this time, her high earning potential had nothing to do with it. The roadblock ever since her 2018 controversy has been the fact that few want to work with her.
