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How did ABC cancel the Roseanne reboot after the 2018 tweet?
Executive summary
ABC canceled the Roseanne reboot on May 29, 2018 after star and co-creator Roseanne Barr posted a tweet that compared former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to the “Planet of the Apes” and referenced the “Muslim brotherhood,” which ABC called “abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values” [1] [2]. Within hours the network announced the cancellation, Barr’s talent agency dropped her, and several cast and crew publicly criticized the tweet—while others expressed sadness about the show’s abrupt end [1] [3] [4].
1. What happened, in plain terms
Roseanne Barr posted a tweet about Valerie Jarrett that many outlets and commentators described as racist and Islamophobic—one formulation was “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” which Barr later deleted and apologized for [1] [5]. ABC’s entertainment president, Channing Dungey, issued a statement calling the tweet “abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values” and announced that the network had decided to cancel the rebooted series that same day [1] [2].
2. How fast the network acted—and why that matters
Multiple reports emphasize the speed of ABC’s response: news stories and analyses note that the cancellation came within hours of the tweet, a rapid corporate decision in part because the show was a high-profile, highly rated revival and the comment directly implicated the star [6] [5]. ABC’s immediate action reflected a calculus about corporate values, reputational risk, and the practical difficulty of continuing a series whose central creative force had publicly said something the company condemned [2] [6].
3. Reactions inside and outside the show
Cast and crew publicly disavowed the tweet; Sara Gilbert and other co-stars called Barr’s comments “abhorrent,” and Wanda Sykes quit as a consulting producer [4] [6]. Industry players also reacted: Barr’s agency ICM Partners announced it dropped her as a client [3], and Disney chairman Robert Iger amplified ABC’s statement on social media [7] [2]. At the same time some fans and commentators—especially on the political right—framed the cancellation as an example of censorship or overreach, a perspective noted in later analyses of the incident [8].
4. Corporate levers ABC used
Reporting shows ABC issued a public statement condemning the tweet and announced cancellation—public relations and formal severing of ties were the principal levers used [1] [2]. Outside of ABC’s decision, industry consequences followed quickly: Barr’s representatives left, and the show’s future as originally conceived ended, though the network later retooled the series without Barr as The Conners (noted in some follow-ups; available sources do not mention details of that retooling process here) [6].
5. Context about Barr’s history and network tolerance
Coverage pointed out Barr was not new to incendiary online remarks; PBS and others discussed that the decision happened against a backdrop of previous provocative tweets and controversy, which likely influenced ABC’s choice to act decisively [9]. Analysts and advocates framed ABC’s move as putting “diversity, inclusion and respect for humanity above ratings,” a line echoed by public figures such as Shonda Rhimes in support of the cancellation [10].
6. What the sources disagree about (and what they don’t say)
Sources uniformly report the tweet’s phrasing and ABC’s immediate cancellation [1] [5] [2]. Differences are mainly in emphasis: some pieces focus on the speed and ethics of the network’s action [2] [6], others highlight backlash from parts of the right or later cultural repercussions [8]. Available sources do not offer ABC’s internal deliberation transcript or a step‑by‑step timeline of executive phone calls—those internal details are not provided in current reporting (not found in current reporting).
7. Why this episode still matters
Journalists and analysts have used the cancellation as an example of how social media behavior can trigger swift professional consequences and how networks weigh commercial success against alleged harms from a talent’s public statements [1] [6]. The incident also sparked debate about corporate responsibility, free expression, and the limits of tolerance for offensive speech in mainstream entertainment—disagreement that persists in subsequent commentary [8].
Limitations: this summary relies on contemporaneous reporting and follow-ups collated in the provided sources; internal ABC deliberations and private legal/contractual negotiations are not detailed in these reports (not found in current reporting).