After apologizing several times for a racist tweet that got her hit ABC sitcom canceled, Roseanne Barr promised to leave Twitter in the wake of a vicious backlash against her hate speech. But, the comedian was back on Twitter almost instantly, going on an hours-long nighttime jag that saw her re-tweeting conspiracy theories from alt-right figures and supporters lashing out at the uproar over Barr’s original comment and claiming that her racist language was a result of too much Ambien.
In a tweet that appears to have been since deleted, Barr wrote, “Guys I did something unforgiveable so do not defend me. It was 2 in the morning and i was ambien tweeting-it was memorial day too-i went 2 far & do not want it defended-it was egregious indefensible. I made a mistake I wish I hadn’t but… don’t defend it please. ty.”
Hours later, she wrote that losing her show is “0 compared 2 being labelled a racist over one tweet – that i regret even more.”
hey guys, don’t defend me, it’s sweet of you 2 try, but…losing my show is 0 compared 2 being labelled a racist over one tweet-that I regret even more.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018
Another deleted tweet had Barr quoting fellow comedian and podcaster Joe Rogan — whose The Joe Rogan Experience podcast she is slated to appear on on Friday (June 1) — writing, “I think Joe Rogan is right about ambien. Not giving excuses for what I did(tweeted) but I’ve done weird stuff whole on ambien – cracked eggs on the wall at 2am etc.”
Barr’s Ambien
Earlier in the day, Barr sparked backlash when she tweeted, “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” The latest in a long string of controversial tweets from the comedian was the last straw for Roseanne consultant comedian Wanda Sykes, who said she was leaving the show, which was canceled just hours later by Disney-owned ABC; Barr’s talent agency, ICM, dropped her as a client and, according to The Hollywood Reporter, ABC also scrapped the “For Your Consideration” Emmy campaign for the hit show.
After initially attempting to stop the bleeding by apologizing to Jarrett “and to all Americans,” saying she was “truly sorry for making a bad joke about her politics and her looks. I should have known better. Forgive me- my joke was in bad taste,” Barr doubled down by spending the rest of Tuesday (May 29) retweeting messages of support, including ones from such far-right figures as Jack Posobiec, who pushed conspiracy theories questioning Jarrett’s ethnicity and background.
[Editor’s note: This article initially identified Thomas Wictor as an alt-right figure. He has criticized the alt-right and does not identify with that term.]
Despite walking back her racist tweet, Barr, 65, retweeted comments such as: “I look like a monkey. Why? My DNA is 96% similar to a monkey’s. It makes scientific sense. But due to emotions, double standards & feelings science is cancelled this year. There are 5,000 genders & if you don’t agree with me you’re a racist xenophobe.” For hours afterwards, in a return to her typical social media activity, Barr continued to post conspiracy theory tweets about former President Obama and Democrats, attacks on ESPN host Keith Olbermann, fellow comedian Bill Maher and Joy Behar — as well as one that showed an image of Jarrett next to one from Planet of the Apes — until she signed off early Wednesday morning (May 30) with “thanks for all your kind comments, everyone! Love u all goodnight.”
Roseanne is retweeting totally crazy, wrong conspiracy theories tonight. (Not new, I know.)
This one claims to be Valerie Jarrett’s yearbook in 1977.
She was Valerie Bowman then. She married William Jarrett in ’83.
Shows how credulous she is—and the dreck she’s bombarded with. pic.twitter.com/0duM4LsFZR
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) May 30, 2018
In another seemingly deleted tweet, Barr asked her fans not to boycott ABC, writing, “I’m not a censor and they have the right to do what they wish.” In addition to ABC canceling the show, the Paramount Network, Hulu, CMT, TV Land and the digital platform Laff have also reportedly pulled reruns of the program. Barr’s co-stars and staff on the show also swiftly and strongly condemned her comments about Jarrett, with Roseanne producer and star Sara Gilbert calling it an “incredibly sad and difficult day for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love — one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.
Michael Fishman, who played D.J. Conner on the show, also called Barr’s tweet “reprehensible and intolerable,” saying he was “devastated, not for the end of the Roseanne show, but for all those who poured their hearts and souls into our jobs, and the audience that welcomed us into their homes.”
— Michael Fishman (@ReelMFishman) May 29, 2018
Jarrett, a former senior advisor to President Obama, called the insult a “teaching moment,” telling MSNBC during its “Everyday Racism in America” town hall, “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.” Other Twitter users were not so quick to extend an olive branch, though, dubbing Barr’s Ambien excuse a weak one.
While on Ambien I’ve made sandwiches, initiated sex with my husband, and called a friend to read her poetry at 3am, and didn’t remember doing any of it,but I wasn’t a racist asshole.
— Noel (@Frogerta) May 30, 2018
Ma’am, Ambien will make me eat lunch meat out of the fridge and drink the nasty juice from the container like it is some ambrosia charcuterie spread from the gods, but it will not turn me into some one-man community theatre production of The Accidental Racist. pic.twitter.com/VxvJMQ8Bhg
— Emerson Collins (@ActuallyEmerson) May 30, 2018
If Roseanne’s excuse is true, those tiki-torch-wielding Charlotte marchers must have all been tripping balls on Ambien.
— Rex Huppke (@RexHuppke) May 30, 2018
Were you ambien photo posing when you took these? pic.twitter.com/YASwdr943v
— Alison Flierl (@2degreesofalie) May 30, 2018