http://variety.com/2018/tv/news/roseanne-canceled-abc-1202824211/
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ABC canceled its hit revival of 'Roseanne' after Roseanne Barr tweeted controversial remarks, which many saw as racist. USA TODAY
ABC has canceled its hit reboot Roseanne, and lead Roseanne Barr has been dropped from her agency after the actress sent a racist tweet about former Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett Tuesday.
Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, issued a statement to USA TODAY denouncing Barr's comment hours after her apology failed to halt a backlash led by many including the show's consulting producer, Wanda Sykes.
"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," the statement read.
Barr's agency, ICM Partners, said in a statement Tuesday that Barr's tweet was "disgraceful," ''unacceptable" and "antithetical to our core values," according to the Associated Press.
The company says it has ended its relationship with Barr "effective immediately."
Barr's comment, which has now been deleted, was sent in response to a tweet that accused Jarrett of helping "hide" misdeeds for the Obama administration.
"muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” Barr wrote, using Jarrett's initials. Jarrett, 61, is African American and worked for Obama from 2009 to 2017.
Barr apologized for the tweet, describing it as "a bad joke."
"I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans. I am truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks," Barr said. "I should have known better. Forgive me — my joke was in bad taste."
The comedy returned to ABC in March, two decades after it ended its first run from 1988 to 1997, reuniting the original cast including John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert.
The much-awaited 10th season's two-episode opener attracted 18.2 million viewers in preliminary Nielsen ratings, making it the season's top premiere. The return was large enough to prompt ABC to quickly order another season.
But the show has been beset by controversy.
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