Following an instant backlash to a series of racist tweets this morning by series star Roseanne Barr, ABC has made the shocking decision to cancel its original comedy series Roseanne.
"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," said Channing Dungey, President, ABC Entertainment.
Roseanne's Twitter page has been a near constant source of concern in the entertainment industry because of her willingness to spout crazy conspiracy theories and racist remarks. Today's comments that demanded immediate attention from ABC included disparaging remarks about Obama advisor Valerie Jarret as well as Chelsea Clinton - the daughter of former president Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.
The cancellation comes as the return of Roseanne after 20 years was the highest rated scripted series that aired during the 2017-18 broadcast season. It was an immediate success for ABC with the network quickly renewing the show for a 13-episode season after airing only one episode. The network was touting the success of the show and pushing it strongly to advertisers at the upfronts just two weeks ago.
In addition to Barr, the comedy also starred John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, Sara Gilbert, Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman, Emma Kenney, Ames McNamara and Jayden Rey.
