ABC cancels Roseanne after star compares former Obama adviser to an ape

Fiona Simpson30 May 2018

ABC has cancelled Roseanne Barr's TV series on the US network after she compared former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape.

Barr later deleted the tweet, which also linked Ms Jarrett to the Muslim Brotherhood, and apologised before saying she would be quitting Twitter.

In a statement ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said: "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."

Earlier on Tuesday Barr, 65, wrote in a post on Twitter that black adviser Ms Jarrett, who was born in Iran, was the "baby" of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet Of The Apes.

Her remarks were in response to a thread that alleged Jarrett had helped to conceal CIA spying.

Roseanne Barr apologised over the comments
REUTERS

After her tweet drew criticism the TV star deleted it and posted that she was leaving Twitter.

In two posts Barr wrote: "I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans.

"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.

"I apologize. I am now leaving Twitter."

Who is Valerie Jarrett... the woman at the centre of Roseanne Barr's racist tweet storm

In March, Barr told ABC's Good Morning America that US President Donald Trump had called her to congratulate the ratings success her revived sitcom had experienced.

Barr has been a vocal backer of Donald Trump and also plays one of his supporters in Roseanne.

At the time Barr said the the Republican was happy for her, adding: "I've known him for many years and he's done a lot of nice things for me over the years."

The return of Roseanne was watched by an estimated 18.4 million viewers in the US. Its original run came to an end in May 1997.

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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