Roseanne Barr Fallout: A Complete Guide to How Her Racist Tweet Led to the Cancellation of 'Roseanne' & More

It’s been a disastrous week for Roseanne Barr.

The 65-year-old comedian has faced major backlash over the past few days after posting a racist comment about Barack Obama’s former White House adviser, Valerie Jarrett, via Twitter on Tuesday.

Since then, the former Roseanne star hasn’t been able to get herself out of hot water. From her controversial remark to how her co-stars have reacted, ET breaks down everything that’s happened (so far) during the ongoing fallout.

The Initial Tweet

The scandal all started when Barr posted the following tweet: “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”

Barr was referring to Jarrett, who is black and was born in Iran. The tweet has since been deleted.

The First Apology

As people flooded her mentions, Barr apologized and proclaimed she was leaving Twitter.

“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans,” she emphasized in another tweet. “I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me – my joke was in bad taste.”

However, her break from Twitter didn’t last long, as she was back on social media within a few hours of that post.

“Don’t feel sorry for me, guys!!” she said upon her return. “I just want to apologize to the hundreds of people, and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet.”

ABC Cancels Roseanne

Shortly after the backlash began on Tuesday, ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey revealed the network was canceling the sitcom in a statement released to the press.

“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” the statement read.

“There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing,” Disney-ABC Chairman and CEO Bob Iger added on Twitter.

Additionally, ABC removed all references to the revival series on its press site and Viacom pulled all reruns of the sitcom’s entire run from all of its channels.

Two days later, Barr claimed she “begged” ABC executives not to cancel the popular series.

“I begged [Disney-ABC Television Group President] Ben Sherwood at ABC to let me apologize and make amend[s],” she wrote in a now-deleted tweet. “I begged them not to cancel the show. I told them I was willing to do anything and asked for help in making things right. I’d worked doing publicity for them for free for weeks, traveling, thru bronchitis. I begged for people’s jobs.”

ICM Drops Barr as a Client

The talent agency that previously represented Barr sent a note to their employees on Tuesday, notifying them of the actress’ abrupt termination.

“We are all greatly distressed by the disgraceful and unacceptable tweet from Roseanne Barr this morning,” the memo read. “What she wrote is antithetical to our core values, both as individuals and as an agency. Consequently, we have notified her that we will not represent her. Effective immediately, Roseanne Barr is no longer a client.”

Stars From the Sitcom Speak Out

It wasn’t long before Twitter erupted with reactions from Barr’s Roseanne co-stars, condemning her for the racist remark that led ABC to pull the plug on their show.

A production source told ET at the time that those who worked on the show were “horrified,” and felt that perhaps the reboot “wasn’t meant to be.”

“As I called my manager to quit working on Roseanne, I was told it was cancelled,” Emma Kenney, who played Barr’s granddaughter, Harris Conner-Healy, on the sitcom wrote in a series of tweets. “I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable.”

Kenney’s onscreen mother, Sara Gilbert (Darlene), also weighed in, writing, “Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least.”

“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,” she added.

And according to Michael Fishman — who played Barr’s onscreen son, D.J., in both the original series and the revival — Tuesday was “one of the hardest days” of his life.

“I feel devastated, not for the end of the Roseanne show, but for all those who poured their hearts and souls into our jobs, and the audience that welcomed us into their homes,” he explained. “Our cast, crew, writers, and production staff strived for inclusiveness, with numerous storylines designed to reflect inclusiveness. The words of one person do not exemplify the thinking of all involved. I condemn these statements vehemently.”

Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer on the show, was actually one of the first to speak out. Before ABC even announced the cancellation, Sykes exclaimed via Twitter that she would “not be returning to @RoseanneABC.”

Read more celebrity reactions (HERE).

Valerie Jarrett Responds

After being the target of Barr’s racist tweet, Jarrett appeared on MSNBC Tuesday night for a town hall discussing “Everyday Racism in America.”

“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,” Jarrett said during the town hall discussion with hosts Joy Reid and Chris Hayes. “But I also think that 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.”

“People on the inside have to push hard, and people on the outside have to listen,” she continued. “I think we have to turn it into a teaching moment. I’m fine.”

According to MSNBC, the hope of the town hall was to “open a national dialogue” by addressing the state of “racial bias in society and what can be done to effect change.”

Barr Apologizes Again; Blames Ambien

In a new series of apologetic tweets, Barr claimed her controversial remark was a result of her tweeting under the influence of the prescription sleep aid Ambien.

“Guys I did something unforgivable so do not defend me,” Barr tweeted Tuesday night. “It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweetin.”

“It was Memorial Day too,” she added. “I went too far and do not want it defended-it was egregious Indefensible. I made a mistake I wish I hadn’t but…don’t defend it please. Ty.”

Ambien Responds

Sanofi, the pharmaceutical company behind Ambien, released its own statement via Twitter shortly after: “People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world. While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”

ABC showrunner Shonda Rhimes also tweeted in response to Barr’s Ambien allegation, writing, “Omg. I used to take Ambien! How many times was I racist in my sleep?! GIRL BYE. #ownyouractions.”

Barr Continues to Defend Herself and Insists She’s ‘Not a Racist’

The comedian was back at it again on Wednesday, attempting to explain her tweet about Jarrett even further.

“I’m not a racist, I never was & I never will be,” she exclaimed. “One stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting 4 civil rights 4 all minorities, against networks, studios, at the expense of my nervous system/family/wealth will NEVER b taken from me.”

She also tweeted back to some of her co-stars, specifically calling out Gilbert and Fishman for not having her back. To Fishman she wrote, “I created the platform for that inclusivity and you know it. ME. You throw me under the bus. nice!”

Her reply to Gilbert was a bit simpler. “Wow! unreal,” she tweeted.

John Goodman Breaks His Silence

Meanwhile, Barr’s onscreen husband, John Goodman (Dan), was spotted at an auto repair shop in New Orleans on Wednesday. In footage obtained by ET, the actor cautiously reacted to the drama.

“[I’d] rather say nothing than to cause more trouble,” he said, adding that he’s doing OK amid the controversy. “Everything’s fine.”

Around the same time our article was published, Barr praised Goodman and another one of their co-stars, Laurie Metcalf, via Twitter.

“I just wish ABC had not thrown two of the greatest actors in the world out with me – Laurie and John,” she wrote. “I’m so sick over this – they will never have better character actors on their network.”

Barr Cancels Scheduled Podcast Interview

The Salt Lake City, Utah, native was expected to share her side of the story on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, on Friday.

Rogan took to Twitter early Friday, however, to reveal Barr would no longer be joining him. “The Roseanne podcast is not happening today,” he shared. “She’s not doing well and doesn’t want to travel, and she’s gone radio silent on me, so I’m just going to step away.”

“The whole thing has been pretty brutal on her, and I hope she can find some peace,” he added.

What’s next?

Since Roseanne got the boot, there have been plenty of rumors circulating that the show could possibly continue in the form of a spinoff, focusing on other characters from the series.

A source told ET on Wednesday that the possibility of a Roseanne spinoff show (without Barr, of course) wasn’t necessarily off the table. “There are very tentative conversations, in very early stages about the possibility of a spinoff, but it is much too early,” the source said at the time.

Another source told ET on Friday that ABC is continuing talks with producers about trying to save jobs by finding a way to reprise and rebrand Roseanne into a new show possibly centered on other characters from the cast.

As we patiently wait to see what happens, watch the video below for more on Barr’s ongoing fallout.

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