ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey issued a statement on Tuesday with the network's decision.
Roseanne has been canceled by ABC following Roseanne Barr's racist tweet on Tuesday.
"Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show," ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey said in a statement on Tuesday.
Disney-ABC Chairman and CEO Bob Iger commended Dungey for making the right decision in letting Roseanne go. "There was only thing to do here, and that was the right thing," he wrote on Twitter.
ABC's decision to undo the Roseanne renewal comes just hours after the the outspoken Barr received backlash for her statements about Barack Obama's former White House adviser Valerie Jarrett earlier in the morning. Barr, 65, tweeted, “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj,” referring to Jarrett, who is black and was born in Iran. Barr later deleted the tweet.
Barr issued an apology to Jarrett and "all Americans" on Tuesday, after she came under fire for her racist tweet.
"I apologize," Barr wrote. "I am now leaving Twitter."
"I apologize to Valerie Jarrett and to all Americans," she emphasized in another tweet. "I am 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."
A Roseanne production source told ET that those who worked on the show are “horrified” by Barr’s racist comment, adding that perhaps the reboot “wasn’t meant to be.” “We can’t believe Roseanne put the entire crew in jeopardy,” the source said.
Immediately after the cancellation, ABC scrubbed any hint of the show on its press site. But as of press time, it still remains accessible on the consumer site.
ICM Partners, the talent agency who represents Barr, wrote in an internal note to its employees that it will no longer represent her. “We are all greatly distressed by the disgraceful and unacceptable tweet from Roseanne Barr this morning. What she wrote is antithetical to our core values, both as individuals and as an agency," read the note. "Consequently, we have notified her that we will not represent her. Effective immediately, Roseanne Barr is no longer a client.”
Following Barr's Twitter rant, which sparked outrage among fans and those associated with the sitcom, consulting producer Wanda Sykes said that she would be leaving the show. "I will not be returning to @RoseanneABC," Sykes wrote.
Roseanne star and executive producer Sara Gilbert, who played Barr's TV daughter, Darlene, also slammed Barr's "abhorrent" remarks.
"Roseanne’s recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least," Gilbert said in a tweet.
"This is incredibly sad and difficult 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," she continued in another.
Emma Kenney, who played Darlene and David's daughter, Harris, reacted to the news of the show's sudden cancellation, saying she was "embarrassed" about the entire ordeal.
"I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable," Kenney tweeted.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) President and CEO Derrick Johnson issued a statement in response to ABC's decision, calling Barr's remarks "appalling and reminiscent of [a] horrific time in our history when racism was not only acceptable but promoted by Hollywood." "We applaud ABC for taking a stand against racism by canceling Roseanne today. We commend the network and its president Channing Dungey for placing the values of diversity, inclusion and respect for humanity above ratings," Johnson said.
Less than two weeks ago, ET was with Barr and Laurie Metcalf at the Disney-ABC Upfront in New York City, where Barr reflected on the success of the revival and Metcalf said she "was so looking forward to" the now-canceled sophomore season.
"I really like that the old fans are watching it with their grandkids now as I watch it with my grandkids. It's timeless and family is timeless. It's very gratifying," Barr told ET, hinting at the time that she was going to hit up all the stars for season two. "We're going to go hard on big stars! Roseanne drives an Uber, so I'm going to try and get a lot of stars as passengers."
"I love that the writers made a little arc out of the nine [episodes] that we had, not knowing that we would be coming back. Now that we have 13 more, I can't wait to read the scripts and see what they have in store," Metcalf told ET, adding that "the relationships felt deeper" this time around. "It seemed like there were more layers in the show."
Dungey said during a recent conference call with reporters that season two of Roseanne would stay "away from politics and toward family." She also addressed an off-color joke featured in an April episode, wherein John Goodman's Dan joked that they “missed all the shows about black and Asian families," which many viewers took as a jab at ABC comedies Black-ish and Fresh Off the Boat. Dungey admitted she was "surprised" by the uproar surrounding the scripted joke, saying she viewed it as the Roseanne writers "tipping their hat."
ABC issued an early 13-episode renewal for the Roseanne revival in March, after the '90s multicamera comedy -- which also stars Lecy Goranson, Michael Fishman and Sarah Chalke -- drew record ratings with more than 18 million viewers (not including delayed viewing) tuning in to the hour-long premiere. It had been slated to return to its Tuesday 8 p.m. perch this fall, as a lead-in for freshman comedy The Kids Are Alright.
With a gaping hole in ABC's fall schedule, it remains to be seen how the network intends to fill the time slot now -- and whether or not they are abandoning the Roseanne universe for good.
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