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Roseanne Barr Addresses Valerie Jarrett Tweet in Unhinged Video: 'I Thought the Bitch Was White'


Two months ago ABC canceled its reboot of the nineties sitcom Roseanne, following a racist Twitter rant from the show’s star, Roseanne Barr, that compared former Obama administration aide Valerie Jarrett to an ape.

Barr eventually apologized for her comments on the podcast Stand Up NY, but in a new video making its internet rounds, the comedian appears unhinged as she spews an expletive-heavy commentary on Jarrett yet again. The video surfaced late Thursday when Barr posted it to her YouTube account.

“I thought the bitch was white!,” she screams, referencing her racist tweet about Jarrett. “Goddamnit! I thought the bitch was white! Fuck!”

In the video Barr is seen smoking a cigarette and appears agitated as someone off-camera tells her to imagine a presidential address after a sex scandal. It’s unclear who shot the footage. But Barr isn’t interested in the commentary, shouting into the camera about Jarrett and Iran.

“I’m trying to talk about Iran, I’m trying to talk about Valerie Jarrett wrote the Iran deal! That’s what my tweet was about!”

The clip offers no other context, other than a caption that reads, “Roseanne, like always, cuts through the bullshit and gets the heart of the matter.”

Barr has offered a series of baffling explanations to justify her jabs at Jarrett, which have ranged from claims that she was commenting on anti-Semitism to an assertion that she was “Ambien tweeting.” However, the tweets weren’t the first time her feed has been mired in controversy; she has a history of peddling conspiracy theories and racist ideas on Twitter.

Jarrett addressed Barr’s comments publicly in May. “First of all, I think we have to turn it into a teaching moment,” Jarrett said. “I’m fine. I’m worried about all the people out there who don’t have a circle of friends and followers coming to their defense.”

When ABC first announcing it was firing Barr and killing the reboot, president Channing Dungey wrote in a statement, “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”

Since then, ABC has ordered a spin-off of the reboot called The Conners, which would continue with 10 episodes starring Roseanne original cast members John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, and Michael Fishman. Barr will not be a part of the program.



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Valerie Jarrett Responds to Roseanne Cancellation: ‘We Have to Turn It Into a Teaching Moment’


Valerie Jarrett, a former aide to Barack Obama, says ABC made the right decision in canceling its hit revival of Roseanne following a racist Twitter rant against her by its star, Roseanne Barr.

In the tweet, which has since been deleted, the comedian specifically said, “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” According to NBC News, the tweet was in reference to an online claim that Obama’s CIA spied on French presidential candidates. Barr’s tweet was also reportedly in response to another Twitter user, who claimed Jarrett helped Obama “hide a lot.”

In an MSNBC town hall taped hours later titled “Everyday Racism in America,” Jarrett said that she’s doing fine emotionally, but that the event should be turned into a teachable moment for the country.

“First of all, I think we have to turn it into a teaching moment,” Jarrett said. “I’m fine. I’m worried about all the people out there who don’t have a circle of friends and followers coming to their defense.”

Jarrett further added, “The tone does start at the top, and we like to look up to our president and feel as though he reflects the values of our country. But I also think every individual citizen has a responsibility too, and it’s up to all of us to push back. Our government is only going to be as good as we make it be.”

According to Jarrett, Bob Iger, the CEO of Disney, personally called her before going public with the news of the show’s cancellation to assure her that Barr’s behavior and language would not be tolerated.

“He wanted me to know before he made it public that he was canceling the show,” she said, noting that Iger added there was “zero tolerance” for that behavior at ABC.

Earlier in the day, Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, wrote in a brief statement, “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Viacom has also pulled reruns of the show from Paramount Network, TV Land and CMT. HULU has also followed suit and pulled the show from its platform.

Members of the show’s cast and crew also quickly took to social media to share how disgusted and disappointed they were with Barr’s actions.

Sara Gilbert, a producer and actress on the show, wrote on Twitter that Barr’s comments are “abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show.” 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.” And Danny Zucker, who was a writer during 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.”

Related Content:
Cast Members and Celebrities Are Praising the Decision to Cancel Roseanne
ABC Cancels ‘Roseanne’ After Racist Twitter Rant





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