(JTA) — ABC canceled the hit series “Roseanne” after its star posted racist comments on social media.
The network announced the cancellation on Tuesday after Roseanne Barr drew wide criticism for a tweet in which she mocked Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” Channing Dungey, ABC’s entertainment president, said in a statement.
Barr’s tweet mocked Jarrett, who is African-American, saying that “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”
The actress later deleted the tweet and issued an apology, saying she had made “a bad joke about her politics and her looks.”
This isn’t the first time that Barr, whose family is Jewish but who also was raised in the Mormon church, has drawn criticism for her social media usage. She has used Twitter to promote conspiracy theories and post comments criticizing transgender people. Some have also taken issue with Barr for her vocal support for President Donald Trump.
“Roseanne,” a show about a working-class American family, had achieved success in its return to network television. The original show, which ran 10 seasons in the late 1980s and much of the 1990s, hit No. 1 in the ratings.
Tuesday was a busy day for the actress. Prior to apologizing to Jarrett, Barr on Tuesday had a Twitter dust-up with Chelsea Clinton after referring to Clinton as “Chelsea Soros Clinton.” The reference was to George Soros, the Hungarian-Jewish billionaire and major giver to liberal causes.
Clinton responded: “Good morning Roseanne – my given middle name is Victoria. I imagine George Soros’s nephews are lovely people. I’m just not married to one. I am grateful for the important work @OpenSociety does in the world. Have a great day!”
Barr may have been referencing a false but now popular assertion by another TV personality and Trump su, Scott Baio, who asserted in 2016 that Clinton’s husband, Marc Mezvinsky, is a nephew of Soros. There is no truth to the claim.
Barr then responded: “Sorry to have tweeted incorrect info about you! Please forgive me! By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that? But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?”
Soros, 87, was a child and living under the protection of a non-Jewish neighbor in Nazi-aligned Hungary during World War II. His critics make much of the fact that, as a 13-year-old, he accompanied his protector when the older man was ordered by Nazis to inventory the estate of a Hungarian Jew who had fled. Jewish groups have called such criticism offensive and “monstrous.”
A spokesperson released a statement in response to Barr’s tweet, saying, “Such false allegations are insulting to the victims of the Holocaust, to all Jewish people, and to anyone who honors the truth. They are an affront to Mr. Soros and his family, who against the odds managed to survive one of the darkest moments in our history.”
Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, retweeted Barr’s comments to Clinton about Soros, sharing them with his 2.84 million followers.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
