In the days since ABC canceledRoseannefollowingRoseanne Barr‘s racist tweet, some viewers arecalling for a spinoffwhile others are questioning: Why can’t the series continue without its star?
Although ABC decided to swiftlycancel the rebootthis week following Barr’sracist remark about Valerie Jarrett,sources toldEntertainment Weeklyon Wednesday “that ABC has not exactly washed its hands of the family comedy.”
But herein lies the challenge: In addition to being the face (Roseanne Conner) of the sitcom, Barr is the creator of the original 1988 series and its revival.
An ABC insider alsotoldEWthat “it was that specific tweet — that if the actress had never done anything remotely like that before, then perhaps things might have gone differently, but that specific Jarrett tweet was so over the line that it left the network no choice.”
“She’s allowed to have an opinion but this was different … this was untenable,” the source toldEW. “Sometimes you just have to take a stand.”
According to the outlet, the network was having discussions Wednesday about the possibility of “whether it makes sense to keep the other actors but potentially design a new series around them — ergo, theBonners, or whatever you want to call Goodman, Metcalf, and the clan of misfits. Nothing has been decided, however, and various options are still being weighed.”
Barr, 65, prompted the cancellation of her show earlier this week when she likenedJarrettto an “ape” in a since-deleted tweet. She has sinceclaimed that she didn’t know Jarrett is black— and that she wason Ambienwhile tweeting.
Robert Trachtenberg/ABC
The star apologized to the “wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet,” and she also expressed her regret over two costars in particular:John GoodmanandLaurie Metcalf.
“I just wish ABC had not thrown two of the greatest actors in the world out with me — Laurie and John,” Barr tweeted Wednesday night. “I’m so sick over this — they will never have better character actors on their network.”
On Thursday, Barr tweeted that she “begged Ben Sherwood at ABC 2 let me apologize & make amends,” referencing the Disney/ABC Television Group president.
“I begged them not to cancel the show. I told them I was willing to do anything & asked 4 help in making things right,” she continued. “I’d worked doing publicity4 them 4free for weeks, traveling, thru bronchitis. I begged4 ppls jobs.”
She added, “He said: what were you thinking when you did this? I said: I thought she was white, she looks like my family! He scoffed & said: “what u have done is egregious, and unforgivable.’ I begged 4 my crews jobs. Will I ever recover from this pain? omg.”
She also expressed her regret to actress Jayden Rey, who played Mary Connor, the daughter of DJ (Michael Fishman) and his African-American wife Geena (Xosha Roquemore) on the show.
“I think I’ll b better tomorrow. The saddest part of all is 4 Jayden Rey on the show whom I grew2 love so much & am so ashamed of myself that she would ever think I do not love her bc she is African American,” Barr tweeted. “It’s the most gawd awful painful thing. I can’t let myself cave in tho.”
source: people.com
