ABC cancels Roseanne over racist tweet

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The ABC television network has canceled the hit reboot of the sitcom Roseanne after its star tweeted a racist comment about a former Obama administration staffer. Actress Roseanne Barr issued an apology for suggesting former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett came from a union between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Planet of the Apes. Jarrett was born in Iran and is African-American. Barr described the comment as a “bad joke.” But ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey called the comment “abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with our values.” The Roseanne reboot was a huge hit with fans, especially conservative viewers who liked the characters’ unabashed support for President Donald Trump, but it retained the trashy ethos Barr personified during the show’s initial run, making it far from family-friendly.

Leigh Jones

Leigh is features editor for WORLD. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate who spent six years as a newspaper reporter in Texas before joining WORLD News Group. Leigh also co-wrote Infinite Monster: Courage, Hope, and Resurrection in the Face of One of America's Largest Hurricanes. She resides with her husband and daughter in Houston, Texas.