The Roseanne reboot has been canceled by ABC, according to a new report from Variety. The abrupt decision comes after a rather egregious and racist tweet sent out by star Roseanne Barr on Monday morning. The tweet in question referred to former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett as the “offspring of the ‘Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes.'”
In response to the tweet, Wanda Sykes (who served as a consulting producer on the reboot) tweeted that she would not be returning to the show. ABC canceled the show shortly thereafter, and ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey had some pretty harsh words to add with the news. “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values,” Dungey said. “We have decided to cancel her show.”
As news of the cancellation breaks, more of those involved in the reboot have chimed in. Sara Gilbert, who served as an executive producer, also called the tweet abhorrent on her own Twitter account, and added that her thoughts “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.” Barr has since issued an apology on Twitter, but at this point, the damage is irrevocable.
