ABC is canceling its revival of ‘Roseanne’ after its eponymous star Roseanne Barr likened Valerie Jarrett, a former senior advisor to President Obama, to an ape in a now-deleted tweet.
Barr apologized for the offending tweet on Tuesday and said she is leaving Twitter. Shortly afterwards, ABC announced its plans to cancel the show.
In a statement, Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, said: ”Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
Bob Iger, chief executive of ABC’s parent company Disney, agreed with Dungey’s choice on Twitter, stating: “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”
The ‘Roseanne’ reboot has been a ratings powerhouse for ABC since it premiered in March of this year, earning it the coveted spot of TV’s number one show. However, Barr’s support of President Trump in both the show and real life has proven to be controversial.