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Roseanne Says She Was Fired for Political Reasons, Thought Valerie Jarrett Was White

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Comedian Roseanne Barr this week continued her attempt to publicly defend herself against widespread allegations of racism.

As The Western Journal reported, ABC cancelled her hit eponymous sitcom soon after she tweeted that Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, was the child of the “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes.”

Barr soon apologized, blaming the side effects of prescription sleeping pills for a comment widely interpreted as racist.

Nearly two months later, she is back with another statement, this time from her “own studio” for a pair of videos posted to her YouTube account.

The first came on Thursday and featured a disheveled and cigarette-smoking Barr delivering a profane reaction to the controversy.

“I thought the b—- was white!” she shouted. “God d— it. I thought the b—- was white. F—!”

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Barr added to the response the following day with a calmer demeanor and a similar defense.

“Hi, this is Roseanne Barr,” she said to the camera. “And I’d like to welcome you to my own studio where I’m able to speak for myself to my fellow and sister Americans without the filter of the biased media.”

She went on to address the Jarrett controversy, claiming her statement this week was her “statement from the very beginning and will continue to be forever, because it is the truth.”

Recalling the immediate aftermath of the tweet, Barr said she received a call from the network and offered to publicly explain her side of the situation.

She said ABC called her seeking an explanation for the tweets and she said at the time that she believed Jarrett was white.

“And I also said, ‘And I’m willing to go on ‘The View,’ ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ or whatever other show you want me to go on and explain that to my audience,” Barr added.

Her minute-long statement then shifted to what she claims is the primary reason her show was cancelled so abruptly.

According to Barr, network executives dismissed her attempt to explain the tweet because she supports President Donald Trump.

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“What happened was about 40 minutes after that, my show was canceled before even one advertiser pulled out and I was labeled a racist,” she said. “Why, you ask? Well, the answer is simple. It’s because I voted for Donald Trump. And that is not allowed in Hollywood.”

ABC announced last month that a “Roseanne” spin-off series featuring the same cast minus Barr has been approved by all parties involved, as The Western Journal reported.

“I regret the circumstances that have caused me to be removed from ‘Roseanne,'” Barr said at the time. “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.”

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Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a wide range of newsrooms.
Chris Agee is an American journalist with more than 15 years of experience in a variety of newsroom settings. After covering crime and other beats for newspapers and radio stations across the U.S., he served as managing editor at Western Journalism until 2017. He has also been a regular guest and guest host on several syndicated radio programs. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with his wife and son.
Birthplace
Virginia
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Texas Press Association, Best News Writing - 2012
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Journalism - Averett University
Professional Memberships
Online News Association
Location
Arizona
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment




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