The self-titled sitcom “Roseanne” was an eye-opener when it hit the screens in 1988. With Roseanne Barr as the lead actress, the sitcom was the first to depict most Americans’ actual living standards– with annoying children, financial challenges, and problems that don’t get solved in 20 minutes.
The sitcom had high ratings and reviews at the time and made stars out of other supporting actors such as Sara Gilbert, John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf, and Johnny Galecki. The sitcom ran till 1997, and in 2018, Barr re-emerged with a revised version of her record-breaking sitcom. As reported by Deadline, the first episode amassed over 18.6 million viewers-– these were numbers that hadn’t been witnessed on TV in a long time.
The numbers were so impressive that ABC instantly renewed the sitcom for a second season. However, this fame didn’t last long as Barr managed to transform what was supposed to be a significant achievement in her life into a career-halting humiliation.
Recently, the comedienne opened up on the details surrounding the loss.
Roseanne Barr Says She’s ‘A Victim Of Cancel Culture’
The actress cum comedienne has explained that she was a victim of “cancel culture” after losing her sitcom “Roseanne.” She broke the silence in her new documentary, “Roseanne: Kicked Out Of Hollywood.”
For most of the documentary, she tried to rectify the racist comments she hurled at the White House senior adviser at the time, Valerie Jerret.
“I shoulda not did it, but by God, I was really pissed that day,” Barr explained. She continued, “I did something I wouldn’t do if I hadn’t been on that Ambien. It makes you do a lot of crazy shit.”
She mentioned that the media destroyed her career by “witch-burning” and “terrible censorship.”
“Witch-burning is what it is,” Barr explained, per The Daily Beast. “Intellectual witch-burning, and arrogance and ignorance. All of the press of the United States and the world, how they interpreted my tweet without any knowledge of the fact that I was sending it to a journalist in Iran about what was happening to the people in Iran. We’re under such terrible censorship. It’s just terrible and frightening.”
The Tweet Caused A Cancellation Of The Barr’s ‘Roseanne’ Reboot
In 2018, Barr attacked Jerret in a tweet in which she wrote, “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”
Although she apologized immediately after that tweet, Barr explained that her show was canceled 40 mins after that tweet.
“I was called a racist,” she mentioned in the documentary. “It was politically expedient for them to shit on my name.”
She also tried to damage control by blaming Ambien and claiming not to know Jarret’s race. But it was of no use; Her show was already canceled, and ABC would be taking a huge step backward from a renewal.
Her Co-workers Tried To Yank Her Phone From Her To Prevent Her From Tweeting
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While the comedienne tried to pin the significant reason for her sitcom cancellation on “witch-burning,” there were reports of co-workers attempting to yank her phone from her grip to prevent her from tweeting. Barr herself corroborated even this report.
“Everyone was begging me to give up my Twitter. Everyone,” Barr recalled. “My kids were trying to lock me out, but I wouldn’t! Because it’s like, I just couldn’t. I’m a goddamn American, I’m not going to do it. I’m a comic, I’m a bad girl, I’m too rock’ n’ roll. I’m going to say fuck it and fuck you ’til I take my last breath.”
Other co-workers also admitted that Barr had a “volatile” character, and many people had issues “working” with her.
Her Daughter Also Detailed Her Experience With Her Mom In New Memoir
Barr’s second daughter also shared the same sentiments with her mom’s co-workers. In the recently released memoir, “This Will Be Funny Later,” Jenny Pentland detailed her harrowing experience with her mom.
Before being shuttled off to reform institutions, Pentland admitted that life under her mother’s roof was unbearable.
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In her memoir, she recalled when her mom forced her to survive in the woods because she was fat.
Despite all this, she holds no grudges toward her mom. In an interview with People, she explained that their relationship has become better from the strained dynamic that they once had.
“We communicate at all costs,” Pentland says of her communication with her mother. “Even if it is uncomfortable, annoying, or the timing is bad, that is the priority.”
