Thread: Roseanne Barr insists she's not racist, hints that she might fight back

Roseanne Barr insists she's not racist, hints that she might fight back

By Nardine Saad
2:19 p.m.

Roseanne Barr’s self-defense continued through Wednesday afternoon, with the disgraced comic insisting that she’s not racist and has been smeared.

One day after ABC abruptly canceled the revival of her hit show “Roseanne” over racist comments she made about former Obama aide Valerie Jarrett, it seems Barr is gearing up for a fight as she eyes her next move.

“I'm not a racist, I never was & I never will be,” she tweeted Wednesday. “One stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting 4 civil rights 4 all minorities, against networks, studios, at the expense of my nervous system/family/wealth will NEVER b taken from me.”

In another tweet seemingly meant for her supporters, Barr said that “you guys make me feel like fighting back. I will examine all of my options carefully and get back to U.”

Though she previously asked fans not to defend her, she solicited them for more followers to help spread her latest message.

“The more I have the more my words will have weight,” she wrote. “I am a fighter 4 FAiRNESS in all aspects of US life. I am tired of being smeared-over a stupid mistake erasing 30 yrs of activism.”

The 65-year-old continued to retweet messages of support, including one from President Trump, who addressed the flap in his own tweet by blasting ABC and Disney chairman Bob Iger on Wednesday.

The presidential response was unsurprising given that Trump had previously called the comedian to congratulate her on the impressive premiere ratings for “Roseanne,” and Barr’s sitcom alter ego is a Trump supporter.

While many criticized and baited the comic on Twitter, Barr returned to the platform late Tuesday to blame the sleep-aid drug Ambien for posting the offensive tweet, which the pharmaceutical company didn’t appreciate. She then declared that her remark about Jarrett was misconstrued.

“It was insensitive not racist,” Barr tweeted in response to a Twitter user calling her missive racist.

The Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning star quickly fell from grace early Tuesday after her longtime friend and consulting producer Wanda Sykes announced her departure from the sitcom in the wake of Barr’s tweet storm.

Despite Barr’s first apology on Tuesday, in which she said she made a “bad joke” in “bad taste,” the since-deleted tweet became national news and led to her sitcom being canceled and syndicated reruns being pulled from television and streaming services.

It also drew the ire of her costars and many others in the entertainment industry.

Her ABC colleague Jimmy Kimmel, who teased her during “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Tuesday, chimed in shortly after Barr declared she wasn’t racist on Wednesday to urge others to be compassionate.

“What @therealroseanne said is indefensible, but angrily attacking a woman who is obviously not well does no good for anyone,” he wrote.

“Please take a breath and remember that mental health issues are real. The Roseanne I know could probably use some compassion and help right now.”

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment...htmlstory.html

FIGHT BACK!!