On Monday, comedian and actress Roseanne Barr tweeted out a racist comment about Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Obama. Thousands of people were shocked and took to social media to condemn Barr and her statement — including her co-stars Michael Fishman and Sara Gilbert.
Gilbert, who played Darlene on Roseanne, was the first to react to Barr’s offensive comment. The 43-year-old called Barr’s statement about Jarrett “abhorrent.” She also said she disapproved of it “to say the least.”
While Gilbert did not advocate for Roseanne to be canceled, she did want to make it clear that Roseanne “is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.”
After news broke that ABC was indeed canceling the Roseanne reboot, Fishman, 36, who played D.J. on the show, said he was “devastated” and “condemned” the comment Barr made. He went on to say: “My character was designed to represent the inclusive nature of my views … we must stand up against bias, hatred, bigotry and ignorance to make society a better place for all.”
Apparently, Barr did not take her co-stars’ reactions lightly. She responded to Gilbert’s tweet by saying “Wow! Unreal!”
Barr then replied to a fan by saying she understood Gilbert’s position, but was a bit “shocked” by it.
As for Fishman’s comment, Barr said he threw her “under the bus.”
Barr, Gilbert, and Fishman have known each other since Roseanne originally aired in 1988. Barr responded to the show’s cancellation on Tuesday night, asking fans not to defend her because what she did was “unforgivable.”
