The revival of the popular 80s to 90s sitcom was canceled on May 29 after a tweet posted by the show’s star Roseanne Barr. The tweet by Barr called Valerie Jarrett, advisor to former President Barack Obama, “a mix of the Muslim brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.” It immediately came under fire with criticisms that the tweet was both racist and Islamophobic. Barr defended herself by claiming the tweet was just a joke.
However, Barr would later delete the tweet and apologize for her “bad joke.” The damage though had already been done. Wanda Sykes, comedian and writer for the show, announced she wouldn’t be returning to the series. Later on, President of ABC Entertainment Group Channing Dungey decided to cancel the show stating that Barr’s tweet was “abhorrent, repugnant, and inconsistent with ABC’s value,” according to a tweet by Dungey.
This cancellation comes despite the show having been renewed for another season two months ago and having gained an enormous amount of viewers.
