ABC never apologised to me complains Donald Trump over Roseanne Barr scandal
After staying silent about cancellation of Roseanne Barr’s sitcom over her racist tweet, Donald Trump makes it all about him.
UPDATED: When the reboot of the 30-year-old Roseanne show, staring real-life Trump supporter Roseanne Barr, was a ratings hit Donald Trump was over the moon, pointing out: “It was about us”.
“They (the ratings) were unbelievable … 18 million people,” he said. “And it was about us.”
He also phoned Barr to congratulate her.
But now America’s ABC network has cancelled the hit sitcom over Barr’s racist tweet and called her target to apologise, the US president has again made it all about him.
After keeping silent about Barr’s firing in a campaign-style rally in Tennessee, Mr Trump broke his silence on Twitter to attack the ABC for apologising to Valerie Jarrett, the African-American and former Obama adviser who Barr had compared to an ape.
“Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologise for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC,” Mr Trump wrote. “Maybe I just didn’t get the call?”
Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that “ABC does not tolerate comments like those†made by Roseanne Barr. Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn’t get the call?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 30, 2018
The sitcom’s ratings triumph — due mainly to the fact that it that spoke to the President’s heartland of white, working-class voters, went up in smoke when Barr tweeted of Ms Jarrett:
“Muslim brotherhood and planet of the apes had a baby=vj.”
As fury spread, Barr claimed it was a joke. “I apologise to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans,” she wrote. “I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste.”
But ABC did not forgive her. “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values,” ABC entertainment president Channing Dungey said.
Even Barr’s conservative supporters criticised her. Former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly described her tweet as “vicious” and said she “could not continue with the show without insulting millions of Americans”.
Barr later blamed her tweet on ambien, going onto the social media platform — breaking her promise to stay off Twitter — to explain: “It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting.”
no, i didnt i blamed myself. stop lying. Yes, I have had odd ambien experiences on tweeting late at night-like many other ppl do. I BLAME MYSELF OK? it's just an explanation not an excuse, Ok, bully?
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018
However this tweet drew the ire of Ambien manufacturer Sanofi, which responded: “Racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”
Earlier, her co-stars also took to Twitter to condemn her tweet.
Sara Gilbert posted: “Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show,” Gilbert said.
“I am disappointed in her actions to say the least.”
Barr responded to Gilbert: “Wow! Unreal”
Another of Barr’s co-stars, Emma Kenney, said “the racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable”.
“As I called my manager to quit working on Roseanne, I was told it was cancelled,” Kenney said on Twitter.
Singer Cher also slammed Barr: “Feel sorry 4 cast and crew of Rosanne (sic). Her racism left good ppl out in the cold, without jobs. Those ppl MUST pay bills, take care of their kids, or parents.”
Ms Jarrett said she was “fine” and suggested that the incident should become a teaching moment. She said Robert Iger, chief executive of ABC parent Walt Disney, had called to apologise and told her before it became public that the show was being cancelled.
“Tone does start at the top, and we like to look up to our president and feel as though he reflects the values of our country,” Ms Jarrett said in an MSNBC special about racism. “But I also think that every individual citizen has a responsibility too, and it’s up to all of us to push back. Our government is only going to be as good as we make it be.”
Barr is no stranger to controversy. She has a history of diving into political conspiracy theories on her Twitter feed.
In 1990, then president George H.W. Bush denounced her for a screeching rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner at a San Diego Padres baseball game.
Additional reporting: Agencies
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