Roseanne Barr has a reputation for starting controversies, especially after the racist tweet against former President Barack Obama’s adviser, Valerie Jarett, calling her a product of the “Muslim brotherhood and planet of the apes.” She was immediately fired by ABC, and her revival show, Roseanne, was canceled just after the consulting producer Wanda Sykes quit.
Barr tearfully apologized for her mean statement, adding that she thought Valerie was white; however, it was too late for a comeback. She also blamed the use of the sedative Ambien and her mental health struggles for her actions, but that was not all. She named co-star Sara Gilbert as the reason for her downfall, too.
Roseanne Barr says Sara Gilbert betrayed her
Barr had a lot of vim against Sara, who played her daughter Darlene in the cut-short reboot, accusing her of backstabbing and getting the show canceled. In Barr’s words, Sara’s response made things worse for her career, and she ended up “owning my work” alongside Tom Werner. Sara had given her opinion on Barr’s comments about Valerie, terming it “abhorrent” and “disappointing.”
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Barr recalled being “floored” and taken aback by Sara’s words, as she expected some support based on their friendship. She alleged that Sara begged her to come back to Roseanne and promised to protect her through her mental health problems. She accused the network of trying to kill her by pushing her to suicide after announcing their decision.
Sara was not the only one to blame, and Barr also called out Michael Fishman for joining the internet mob and condemning her publicly. She followed her rant with a statement, noting that she had forgiven them both. Barr apologized to the “wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet,” particularly John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf.
Sara also expressed sadness over the unexpected cancellation of Roseanne, adding that Barr would always be family regardless. Last year, Barr resurfaced on Fox Nation with a comedy standup special, Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!, and a documentary titled Who Is Roseanne Barr? and was pleased with the reception from her “people of color” fanbase.