‘Roseanne’ Canceled By ABC Following Star’s Racist Tweets

ABC has abruptly canceled Roseanne Barr’s hit comedy series revival following a morning in which the star launched a tirade of racist and anti-semitic tweets.

“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey, the first African American executive to lead a US broadcast network, just announced.

All references to the show already have been removed from ABC’s press site.

Barr’s family sitcom – the biggest success story of the 2017-18 TV season – had been picked up for a second season after only one episode, which clocked record ratings. Roseanne was the highest-rated and most watched freshman series of the 2017-18 season and ranked No. 2 overall among all entertainment programs in total viewers (17.82 million in Live+7) and in the adults 18-49 demographic (5.0 rating).

It also was ABC’s highest-rated series and cornerstone of the network’s upfront presentation earlier this month, which was opened by Barr (pictured above).

Related‘Roseanne’ Showrunner Bruce Helford Reacts To Series’ Cancellation, “Horrified And Saddened” By Star’s Racist Tweets

ABC’s cancellation announcement came hours after Barr announced she was “leaving” Twitter – again – after apologizing for calling former President Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett an offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes.” Barr came back to Twitter about five minutes later to expand on her apology.

“I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans,” Barr tweeted. “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.”

She has not tweeted anything since.

Jarrett has not responded, which CNN calls “taking the high road” but we call it a likely decision to hold off, having, in one of those incredible coincidences, previously been booked to appear tonight in an MSNBC town hall about racism in America – ratings on which are now likely to spike:

RelatedRoseanne Barr Dropped By ICM Partners After Racist Tweets

In her initial tweet about Jarrett, Barr referred to her as “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” It was in response to a tweet referencing a Wikileaks claim that the CIA during Obama’s term in office spied on French presidential candidates.

In response to expected blowback, Barr said her tweet was a “joke” and responded to claims that her tweet was racist by replying, “Muslims r not a race.” Jarrett, an African-American, was born in Iran to American parents. Barr’s tweet has been deleted.

Shortly after Barr’s apology, Wanda Sykes announced her resignation from Roseanne, on which the prominent African-American comic had been a key writer/consulting producer:

Roseanne co-star and executive producer Sara Gilbert, who was the driving force behind the revival, also distanced herself and the show’s cast and crew from Barr’s “abhorrent” comments, with her followup tweet hinting at the hit comedy’s pending demise.

RelatedBob Iger: ‘Roseanne’ Cancellation “The Right Thing”

The tirade about Jarrett was only one of Barr’s offensive tweets this morning. She had kicked off her day tweeting that Chelsea Clinton is married to George Soros’ nephew…

…and, when Clinton responded:

Roseanne responded:

Roseanne also noted, “By the way, George Soros is a nazi who turned in his fellow Jews 2 be murdered in German concentration camps & stole their wealth-were you aware of that? But, we all make mistakes, right Chelsea?”

Soros was born in 1930.

Today’s tweets aren’t even the first time Barr has called an African-American woman an ape. In 2013, she called Obama National Security Adviser Susan Rice “a man with big swinging ape balls.”

RelatedNetwork TV Series Cancellations For 2017-18 Season: Photo Gallery

Related stories

Roseanne Barr's Twitter All-Nighter: Walks Back Ambien Comments; Reacts To Sara Gilbert & More

Donald Trump Mum At Rally On 'Roseanne' Cancel After Star's Latest Racist Tweet

'Roseanne's Cancellation: What It Means For ABC Fall Schedule & Remaining Pilots

Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter