ABC Boss Apologizes to ‘Roseanne’ Staff in Company Memo

The Roseanne reboot was canceled on Tuesday morning, the same day that the writers were meant to begin work on the next season.

Disney/ABC Television executive Ben Sherwood apologized to the cast and crew of Roseanne in a memo following the series’ sudden cancelation prompted by Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets.

Following comments from Barr regarding Barack Obama former aide Valerie Jarrett, the hit comedy series was abruptly canceled, leading to hundreds of people losing their jobs.

Read the full staff memo below, first release by The Hollywood Reporter, below:

From: Ben Sherwood
Sent: Wednesday, May 30, 2018 11:09 AM
Subject: Our Values

Team:

Much has been said and written about yesterday’s decision to cancel the Roseanne show. In the end, it came down to doing what’s right and upholding our values of inclusion, tolerance, and civility.

Not enough, however, has been said about the many men and women who poured their hearts and lives into the show and were just getting started on next season. We’re so sorry they were swept up in all of this and we give thanks for their remarkable talents, wish them well, and hope to find another way to work together down the road.

The last 24 hours have also been a powerful reminder of the importance of words in everything we do – online and on the air. And the responsibility of using social media – and all of our programs and platforms – with careful thought, decency and consideration.

Today we move forward, together, full speed.

Ben

The memo comes a day after Barr shared a tweet claiming Jarrett was the product of the Black Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.

Following an outcry of social media outrage, ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey denounced the comedian’s comments and announced the series’ cancelation, according to a report from Entertainment Tonight.

After her tweet made headlines, Barr apologized to Jarrett “and to all Americans”. But hours after the series was canceled, she took to Twitter to defend herself, implying her tweet was the result of an Ambien sleeping pill she took before sending the tweet.

Michael Fishman, who played Barr’s on-screen son, D.J. Conner, also condemned Barr’s tweet. In a lengthy statement shared to Twitter, he wrote that he was “devastated” for the rest of the cast and crew who lost well-paying jobs as a result of the tweet.

Barr clapped back at Fishman’s tweet, writing that he threw her “under the bus.” He responded, telling her that her Tuesday remarks were “so out of character.” Wednesday afternoon, she told him to “Please leave me alone, thanks.”

Celebrities like Ellen Pompeo, Rita Moreno, Charlie Sheen, Whoopie Goldberg and Jim Carrey have spoken out against Barr, as well as in support for the network’s decision to cancel the series.