Fact check: How did other cast members of Roseanne respond to the controversial tweet and cancellation?

1. How the core cast publicly reacted in 2018 — swift condemnation and distancing

When ABC announced the cancellation on May 29–30, 2018, several principal cast members responded quickly to condemn Roseanne Barr’s tweet and to separate the show’s values from her remarks. Sara Gilbert and Emma Kenney publicly called the tweet racist and inexcusable, making clear that those views did not reflect the cast, crew, or the program’s values; ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey characterized the tweet as “abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values,” language the cast echoed in expressing disappointment ^{[1] [2]}. John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf also registered disappointment and sadness over the abrupt end of the reboot, but the overall public posture of the ensemble was to back the network’s decision and to emphasize that the show itself did not endorse Barr’s comments ^[6]. The immediate cast narrative was one of moral separation from Barr, aligning with ABC’s rapid termination of the series to protect the show’s broader brand and workforce ^[2].

2. Outside cultural figures and partisan reactions — praise, gratitude, and a free-speech counterargument

The cancellation elicited reactions beyond the cast, with prominent creators and actors such as Ava DuVernay, Viola Davis, and Shonda Rhimes publicly supporting ABC’s decision; they and others framed the move as holding a public figure accountable for racist rhetoric ^[7]. Conversely, some commentators and supporters of Roseanne Barr characterized the network’s action as an overreach that penalized speech and signaled a politically motivated intolerance; this counter-narrative treated the event as part of a broader culture-war debate about free expression and corporate governance. This split in reactions reflects two clear public agendas: one emphasizing institutional responsibility to reject racism and protect workplace values, the other warning about censorship or selective enforcement of norms ^[7].

3. Cast dynamics after cancellation — building The Conners and managing reputational damage

In the months following the cancellation, several cast members worked to preserve the show’s characters and livelihoods by moving forward with a spinoff, The Conners. Sara Gilbert, John Goodman, and Laurie Metcalf later framed the transition as necessary to continue telling the family’s story and to distance the ensemble from Barr’s conduct; they expressed gratitude for the opportunity to carry on without Barr and for the chance to protect cast and crew jobs ^[3]. The Conners represented both damage control and continuity, allowing the principal actors to retain their audience and to state publicly that the values of the show and its employees were distinct from Barr’s personal conduct, an explicit attempt to contain reputational fallout ^{[3] [6]}.

4. Individual tones ranged from blunt censure to cautious silence

Not every cast member responded in the same voice: while Gilbert and others called the tweet abhorrent and supported cancellation, John Goodman adopted a more measured posture, saying he preferred not to inflame the situation and that “everything is fine,” reflecting a desire to avoid prolonging the controversy even as he expressed sadness ^[8]. This range—public denunciation, pragmatic silence, and private sorrow—illustrates differing personal calculations about career, public image, and relationships within the ensemble after a sudden corporate decision ^{[8] [6]}.

5. Ongoing tensions: Barr’s later accusations and the cast’s reaffirmation

After the immediate fallout, tensions persisted. Roseanne Barr publicly blamed Sara Gilbert for the show’s cancellation, accusing her of betrayal; Gilbert and other cast members rejected that framing. Gilbert continued to defend the decision to cancel the revival and to support actions taken against Barr’s tweet, framing the move as necessary and just ^{[5] [4]}. This continuing public dispute revealed that while the cast consolidated around a narrative of institutional accountability, Barr maintained an oppositional account that cast herself as wronged, fueling renewed media attention and partisan readings of the episode ^[5].

6. What the arc shows about celebrity crises and workplace values

The sequence—from the May 2018 tweet and immediate network cancellation to the cast’s denunciations, the creation of The Conners, and lingering public blame—illustrates a broader pattern in how media companies respond to high-profile misconduct: rapid corporate action to limit reputational risk, cast efforts to salvage employment and brand equity, and extended public disputes between principals. The cast’s consistent messaging that the show’s values differ from Barr’s statements, reinforced by network leadership and later by the cast’s own production choices, demonstrates a coordinated strategy to protect both moral and economic interests while navigating competing public claims about accountability and free speech ^{[2] [3] [4]}.