The swift cancellation of Roseanne Barr’s TV show this week following her ugly Twitter comments have caused others on the show to speak out. Cast, writers, and other members of the team have been distancing themselves from her views.

In case you missed it, Barr sent out a racist tweet on Monday night calling former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett a derogatory name. Hours later, ABC pulled her show from its lineup and the whole thing has been causing an uproar ever since.

The comedienne has since been dropped from her talent agency and reruns of the show have also been pulled. Before and after ABC announced their decision, some of her co-stars have been speaking out about the tweet, with Sara Gilbert, who plays Darlene, issuing this statement:

“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.”

In response, Barr tweeted back to Gilbert, “Wow! unreal.” Michael Fishman, who played DJ on the show, also expressed his discontent with her comment in a long statement on Twitter. Here is the gist:

“I condemn these statements vehemently. They are reprehensible and intolerable, contradicting my beliefs and outlook on life and society. I have always lived and taught my children to be inclusive. I believe our show strived to embrace different backgrounds and opinions, through open dialogue.

While I am going to miss being part of the ABC family, I believe that to sit back or remain silent in an attempt to distance myself from the actions/statements of others would unintentionally endorse or placate those statements which I find truly offensive.”

Unhappy about his position, Roseanne fired back to him directly on Twitter with, “i created the platform for that inclusivity and you know it. You throw me under the bus. nice!”.

Additionally, Emma Kenney, the actress who played granddaughter Harris, stated she felt hurt and embarrassed, but moved to distance herself before word of the cancellation hit the public:

“As I called my manager to quit working on Roseanne, I was told it was cancelled. I feel so empowered by @iamwandasykes , Channing Dungey and anyone at ABC standing up for morals and abuse of power. Bullies will NEVER win.”

As of Wednesday, May 30^th, Barr decided she’s not going down without a fight. She apologized, asking fans not to defend her for making a bad decision.

Then she quit Twitter, but then got back on to say Ambien made her send the bad tweet and Michelle Obama is responsible for the show’s cancellation. She also told fans she will be looking into her options

In the meantime, staff – including writers and producers – who worked on the sitcom have received an outpouring of thanks and apologies from the higherups at the ABC-Disney group as well as from the cast members. Many are sad and disappointed about the news, but understand the network’s decision.

With so much on the line after a 20-year absence, Roseanne’s return and success started off being something to celebrate. In a matter of hours, aspirations and hopes for the show’s reboot completely unraveled.

What do you think of the cast’s reactions? Are you surprised by any of this? Do you feel bad for the team behind the show?

Source:

Good Housekeeping