On Tuesday, ABC quickly announced its decision to cancel the ratings-gold reboot of “Roseanne” after the show’s star, Roseanne Barr, posted a racist tweet aimed at former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett.
In the now-deleted tweet, Barr said Jarrett is what happens when the “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes” have a baby. In a statement renouncing the remark, the President of ABC Entertainment Channing Dungey wrote, “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”
Hollywood quickly came out in support of the show’s cancellation, some tying the incident to racism surrounding President Donald Trump and chalking up the ABC backlash as a win for the #resistance.
“Will & Grace” star Debra Messing said she was moved to tears over the cancellation announcement. Barr’s comments, per Messing, are a reflection of President Trump and his supporters. “The hate that has been spewing from those in Trump’s orbit has really taken a toll on all of our souls and psyches. I didn’t believe it would happen. I had lost faith,” she wrote.
Former “Batman” actor Kevin Conroy accused Barr of making “her fortune off the backs of the working class with mean spirited vulgarity.” “Thank God they cancelled her trash,” he said.
Tom Arnold, who was briefly married to Barr, wrote, “Ton of respect for Bob Iger. Tough decision with financial consequences for his company but right for America.”
TV host and actress Aisha Tyler applauded ABC for their quick move to cancel the show. “We live in a country where you can express yourself freely, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t consequences for hateful speech and actions,” said Tyler.
TV producing powerhouse Shonda Rhimes made the point that the cancellation has caused suffering for “all of the talented innocent people who worked on that show,” but later added that Barr had it coming:
Actress Minnie Driver praised ABC for their “ethical compunction” and plugged her own show.
Movie star Viola Davis simply thanked Dungey.
Barr has since apologized for her comment, which she said was in “bad taste,” and has sworn off Twitter.
RELATED: Valerie Jarrett Responds To Roseanne’s Tweet: ‘This Should Be A Teaching Moment’