Cast Members and Celebrities Are Praising the Decision to Cancel Roseanne
On Tuesday, May 29, ABC made the swift decision to cancel the Roseanne reboot after its star Rosanne Barr went on a racist Twitter rant that compared Valerie Jarrett, a former Barack Obama aide, to an ape.
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.”
The decision came just hours after Barr wrote in a now-deleted tweet, “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” According to NBC News, the tweet is in reference to an online claim that Obama’s CIA spied on French presidential candidates. Barr’s tweet was in response to another Twitter user, who claimed Jarrett helped Obama “hide a lot.”
Following Barr’s tweet, several cast and crew members on Roseanne spoke out to denounce her words. Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer on the show, said in a tweet prior to the cancelation announcement, “I will not be returning to @RoseanneOnABC.”
https://twitter.com/iamwandasykes/status/1001494592649342979
Sara Gilbert, who played Barr’s daughter Darlene on the ABC sitcom and is a producer on the show, also wrote that Barr’s comments are “abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show.”
https://twitter.com/THEsaragilbert/status/1001513801546530816
Gilbert 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.”
https://twitter.com/THEsaragilbert/status/1001513831875600384
Emma Kenney, who played Darlene’s daughter on the show, wrote on Twitter, “I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable.”
https://twitter.com/EmmaRoseKenney/status/1001525523883835392
Danny Zucker, who wrote for the first iteration of Roseanne, wrote, “I wrote on the original ‘Roseanne’ where we used to denounce nativism, racism & homophobia. Nauseating to see what she’s become. Looking forward to continue not watching this show.”
Other celebrities have tweeted out their support for the decision to cancel the show, including Minnie Driver, who currently stars in the network’s show Speechless. “So proud of @ABCNetwork for having the ethical compunction to cancel #Rosanne despite the show’s huge numbers,” she wrote on Twitter. “We too make a show about a middle class family, come and watch us instead #speechless.”
Dan Fogelman, the writer and producer of NBC’s This Is Us, also shared some praise for ABC’s decision on Twitter: “Good for you, ABC. We’re friends again.”
Shonda Rhimes tweeted a simple “thank you” to Dungey for the decision to drop the show.
Debra Messing, who is starring in a revival of Will And Grace on NBC, wrote, “I just heard #rosanne is cancelled. My reaction— tears. I am so relieved and grateful. The hate that has been spewing from those in Trump’s orbit has really taken a toll on all of our souls and psyches. I didn’t believe it would happen. I had lost faith. Thank you @abc.”
Actress Zoe Saldana tweeted her disgust with Barr’s statement, writing on social media, “Shame on you @therealroseanne and @ABCNetwork @RoseanneOnABC Not a single apology can get me to respect your despicable racist character. #EndRacism in #mainstream media NOW!!!”
Director Ava DuVernay praised Dungey for her decision, writing, “For the record, this is Channing Dungey. Sitting on top of your world like a Queen in full judgement of your garbage and taking it out.”
Related Content: ABC Cancels ‘Roseanne’ After Racist Twitter Rant