Roseanne Barr’s New Message to Valerie Jarrett: ‘I’m Not Against You Personally’

Roseanne Barr has a new message for Valerie Jarrett, the former aide for President Barack Obama she tweeted out in the message that led ABC to cancel Roseanne.

In a new interview with Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, Barr said she has nothing against Jarrett personally. She just opposes Jarrett’s work during the Obama administration.

“My sister helped me because she’s a Torah student, too, and she helped me to say the work of your hands…makes me feel threatened. I shouldn’t have said, you know, like what you said – don’t make it personal,” Barr told Boteach, reports E! News. “But you kind of have to when it’s, like, the work of your hand is what I’m against – not you personally – but the work of your hands.”

In late May, Barr tweeted, “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” referring to Jarrett. Hours later, ABC cancelled Roseanne, which was the top-rated sitcom of the 2017-2018 season.

Barr repeatedly apologized, and at one point said she “Ambien tweeting.” She also insisted she was not racist and made a bad joke. In other interviews, she said she did not realize Jarrett is black.

“Of course I’m not a racist. I’m an idiot. I might have done something that comes across as a bigoted and ignorant, and I know that that’s how it came across. I ask for forgiveness because I do love all people, I really do,” Barr said in a previous interview with Boteach.

“I have black children in my family. I never would have wittingly called any black person and say they are a monkey,” she continued. “I just wouldn’t do that, and I didn’t do that and that people think that I did that. It just kills me.”

In another interview with Boteach, Barr said she tried to get Jarrett’s phone number to ask for forgiveness.

Jarrett, who was born in Iran to American parents and moved to Chicago as a toddler, served as Obama’s senior advisor during Obama’s two terms. She said she hoped Barr’s comment would be a “teaching moment.”

“I’m fine. I’m worried about all the people out there who don’t have a circle of friends and followers coming to their defense,” Jarrett said on MSNBC.

Last month, ABC greenlit a Roseanne spin-off called The Conners, which will star John Goodman, Sara Gilbert and Laurie Metcalf. Barr will have no creative involvement in the new show.

“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from Roseanne. I agreed to the settlement in order that 200 jobs of beloved cast and crew could be saved, and I wish the best for everyone involved,” Barr said in a statement after The Conners was ordered.

The Conners will debut this fall.

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