Roseanne Barr has denied being racist in a tweet on Wednesday, framing her racist comment as a “one stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting [for] civil rights.”
“I’m not a racist, I never was & I never will be,” the actress wrote. “One stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting 4 civil rights 4 all minorities, against networks, studios, at the expense of my nervous system/family/wealth will NEVER b taken from me.”
Wednesday’s tweet comes after Barr’s show, ABC’s revival of “Roseanne,” was canceled and pulled from syndication in response to an offensive tweet in which the comedian compared former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, who is black, to “Planet of the Apes” and the Muslim Brotherhood.
After first issuing a contrite (and now deleted) apology, Barr later attempted to explain that she was “Ambien tweeting” at 2 a.m. when she wrote about Jarrett.
“Guys I did something unforgiveable [sic] 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,” she wrote.
She also apologized to everyone who lost their job because of her, writing: “Don’t feel sorry for me, guys!!-I just want to apologize to the hundreds of people, and wonderful writers (all liberal) and talented actors who lost their jobs on my show due to my stupid tweet. I will be on Joe Rogan’s podcast friday.”
Barr was also dropped by her talent agency, ICM Partners, which called her remarks “disgraceful and unacceptable.”
I'm not a racist, I never was & I never will be. One stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting 4 civil rights 4 all minorities, against networks, studios, at the expense of my nervous system/family/wealth will NEVER b taken from me.
— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018