Roseanne Barr on the tweet that led to her show cancellation: "I horribly regret it... I've lost everything"
The sitcom star gave an emotional interview about the fallout from her “abhorrent” online comment
Roseanne Barr, the former star of US sitcom Roseanne, has opened up about the tweet that saw her hit comedy pulled from the air by ABC.
The actor – who posted a tweet comparing Valerie Jarrett, a former aide to President Obama, to an ape – said to friend Rabbi Shmuley on his podcast she was sorry for the post, but that her comment was misunderstood.
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"I didn't mean what they think I meant,” she said.
But she quickly added: "I have to face that it hurt people. When you hurt people even unwillingly, there's no excuse. I don't want to run off and blather on with excuses.
"But I apologise to anyone who thought, or felt offended and who thought that I meant something that I, in fact, did not mean. It was my own ignorance, and there's no excuse for that ignorance."
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"I horribly regret it... I've lost everything," she added. "And I regretted it before I lost everything and I said to God that I am willing to accept whatever consequences this brings.
"But they don't ever stop. They don't accept my apology or explanation. And I've made myself a hate magnet."
Her tweet was widely-condemned, with broadcaster ABC labelling the comment as “abhorrent” before dropping the sitcom.
The Conners, a spin-off from hit comedy, will see the return of Roseanne’s original writers, producers and cast – with the exception of Barr.
ABC’s revival of Roseanne in March – after the sitcom’s two-decade hiatus – was a huge hit, with its season premiere garnering 18 million viewers for the network.
Roseanne originally ran for nine series from 1988 to 1997 and was one of the biggest shows on American television in its heyday, lauded for its portrayal of a blue-collar American family.
It remains to be seen how The Conners will address the sudden disappearance of Roseanne.
