Roseanne Barr Says Being Fired From 'Roseanne' Revival Felt Like Being Told To 'Commit Suicide'

Controversial comedienne Roseanne Barr recently revealed that being sacked from her show's revival, "Roseanne," came as a shock to her. 

Although the writers named the ABC sitcom after her, she felt useless after getting fired and even considered suicide. However, the dismissal followed a racist tweet she shared about Valerie Jarrett, adviser to former President Barack Obama.

Amid the controversy, Barr said she also felt unappreciated, considering how much she had contributed to "Roseanne." While the actress says she's now in a better place, the dismissal did a number on her mental health. 

Keep reading to know more.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Barr revealed that it took a lot to get back on her feet again. After being fired from the revival in 2018, Barr said she got depressed and claimed that her former colleagues wanted her "to commit suicide."

As far as she knew, killing off her Roseanne character meant that they didn't care about her mental health. While the "She-Devil" star now feels better, it was a very dark and scary time for her. "I've survived. I've come out on the other side of it, finally. But it was witch-burning. And it was terrifying."

During the interview promoting her upcoming special "Cancel This!" Barr also noted that she felt left out and unappreciated. The "Roseanne" dismissal followed her controversial tweet bashing Valerie Jarrett, the former senior adviser to the President of the United States. The tweet read, "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj." 

Following the abrupt end of the "Roseanne" revival, a new spin-off titled "The Conners" debuted in 2018 without her character. The show is currently in its fifth season.

The "Master of the Good Name" actress revealed that she "lost everything" after the dismissal. The star recalled feeling alone during the controversy as several of her friends turned against her. Barr also noted that the scandal cost her opportunities with other comedians like Dave Chappelle.

Recounting how it felt like, she said, "I guess you would call it the dark night of the soul. I felt like the devil himself was coming against me to try to tear me apart, to punish me for believing in God." The star also revealed that she barely got an opportunity to apologize for the tweet.

Amid the controversy, Barr felt bad that her former colleagues agreed to work on the new show without her. "I'm the only person… whose life's work was stolen, stolen by people who I thought loved me." Although she felt betrayed by her former co-stars, she forgave them afterward.

The comedienne said she felt betrayed after her former colleagues like Laurie Metcalf, John Goodman, and Sara Gilbert agreed to star in the spin-off, "The Conners." It upset her that they decided to "murder" her character and work on the show without her.

She said, "They sh*t on my contribution to television and the show itself." However, the star found it in her heart to forgive them and wish them well. She noted, "I forgive everybody. I started thinking that God took me out of there to save me."

Barr spoke about her struggle with mental illnesses in a 2001 interview with Esquire. At the time, she revealed that she had Multiple Personality Disorder (now called Dissociative Identity Disorder.) In response to whether she had control over them, she revealed that she was getting used to it.

She explained, "I was always in conflict about conflicting parts, but I've learned how to get them to listen to each other now." Barr also noted that the personalities were now more cooperative compared to 1994, when she first revealed the illness to the public.

She said, "I've learned how to get them to know they're on the same team, that we occupy the same body, which we never knew before." Following news that she wouldn't feature in "The Conners," Barr released a statement apologizing to those affected by her "stupid tweet."