Roseanne Barr has spoken out about ABC killing off her character via an opioid overdose. Surprise, surprise — she’s not happy about it!
After the premiere of The Conners on Tuesday night — which according Nielsen, was down 35% since it’s predecessor-series Spring return — the disgraced sitcom star issued a statement condemning the network for the “grim and morbid” way it said goodbye to Roseanne Conner.
In the statement, co-written by Ro-Ro’s good friend and occasional podcast partner, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, the actress said ABC’s decision to cancel Roseanne goes directly against the show’s “twin American values of both repentance and forgiveness,” all because of “fear, hubris, and a refusal to forgive” her for that racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.
Video: John Goodman ‘Crashed’ After ‘Roseanne’ Got Canceled
Read her full lengthy statement (below):
“While we wish the very best for the cast and production crew of The Conners, all of whom are deeply dedicated to their craft and were Roseanne’s cherished colleagues, we regret that ABC chose to cancel Roseanne by killing off the Roseanne Conner character. That it was done through an opioid overdose lent an unnecessary grim and morbid dimension to an otherwise happy family show.
This was a choice the network did not have to make. Roseanne was the only show on television that directly addressed the deep divisions threatening the very fabric of our society. Specifically, the show promoted the message that love and respect for one another’s personhood should transcend differences in background and ideological discord. The show brought together characters of different political persuasions and ethnic backgrounds in one, unified family, a rarity in modern American entertainment. Above all else, the show celebrated a strong, matriarchal woman in a leading role, something we need more of in our country.
Through humor and a universally relatable main character, the show represented a weekly teaching moment for our nation. Yet it is often following an inexcusable – but not unforgivable – mistake that we can discover the most important lesson of all: Forgiveness. After repeated and heartfelt apologies, the network was unwilling to look past a regrettable mistake, thereby denying the twin American values of both repentance and forgiveness. In a hyper-partisan climate, people will sometimes make the mistake of speaking with words that do not truly reflect who they are. However, it is the power of forgiveness that defines our humanity.
Our society needs to heal on many levels. What better way for healing than a shared moment, once a week, where we could have all enjoyed a compelling storyline featuring a witty character – a woman – who America connected with, not in spite of her flaws, but because of them. The cancellation of Roseanne is an opportunity squandered due in equal parts to fear, hubris, and a refusal to forgive.”
Roseanne may be dead on network television, but the comedian made it clear she’s still kicking on Twitter, for what it’s worth, writing:
https://twitter.com/therealroseanne/status/1052371163161088001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1052371163161088001&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheblast.com%2Froseanne-conners-premiere-overdose%2F
It’s gonna take a little more Ambien for Twitter to kill her off, too!
Did U watch The Conners?
[Image via ABC]
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