• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Arts & Entertainment

Roseanne Barr Says She ‘Begged’ an ABC Exec Not to Cancel Her Show

Aric Jenkins
By
Aric Jenkins
Aric Jenkins
Down Arrow Button Icon
Aric Jenkins
By
Aric Jenkins
Aric Jenkins
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 1, 2018, 12:10 PM ET

Disgraced comedian Roseanne Barr said on Twitter last night that she “begged” an ABC executive not to cancel her show Roseanne after she made racist comments about a black woman.

In a a now-deleted tweet, Barr tweeted that she pleaded with Disney-ABC Television Group President Ben Sherwood “2 let me apologize & make amends. I begged them not to cancel the show.”

“I told them I was willing to do anything & asked 4 help in making things right,” Barr added. “I’d worked doing publicity4 them 4free for weeks, traveling, thru bronchitis. I begged4 ppls jobs.”

Earlier this week, ABC President Channing Dungey canceled Roseanne — a reboot of her popular sitcom from the ’80s and ’90s — after Barr tweeted that former President Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett looked like “Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby.” Dungey, in turn, followed with a statement: “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show.”

Following the decision to cancel Roseanne, Barr attributed her Twitter comments to her use of Ambien before later adding that she “mistakenly thought she was white.” Prior to that claim, she said in a tweet that she thought Jarrett “was Saudi” — and then tweeted hours later that she “honestly thought [Jarrett] was Jewish and Persian.”

i thought she was saudi

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018

i honestly thought she was Jewish and Persian-ignorant of me for sure, but…i did.

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018

yes, I mistakenly thought she was white

— Roseanne Barr (@therealroseanne) May 30, 2018

On Thursday, Barr doubled down on her claim that she thought Jarrett was white. Referring to her conversation with Sherwood, she said in a now-deleted tweet, “He said: what were you thinking when you did this? I said: I thought she was white, she looks like my family!

“He scoffed & said: “what u have done is egregious, and unforgivable.'” Barr added. “I begged 4 my crews jobs. Will I ever recover from this pain? omg.”

About the Author
Aric Jenkins
By Aric Jenkins
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Arts & Entertainment

Top CD rates from major banks March 23, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
BankingCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates from major banks on March 23, 2026: Chase CDs, Bank of America CDs, Citibank CDs, and more
By Danny BakstMarch 23, 2026
22 hours ago
Investingpets
Pricier vet care: Fewer visits but still many $11,000 surgeries
By Emily Forgash, Rachel Phua and BloombergMarch 22, 2026
2 days ago
Arts & EntertainmentMovies
‘Project Hail Mary’ becomes Amazon’s highest-grossing film debut
By Thomas Buckley and BloombergMarch 22, 2026
2 days ago
Arts & Entertainmentart
Banksy may have been identified, but his mystery has long been part of his art’s value, and a fan says it’s like finding out Santa Claus isn’t real
By Laurie Kellman and The Associated PressMarch 22, 2026
2 days ago
Arts & EntertainmentMusic
BTS begins comeback tour to reclaim status as one of the world’s biggest pop acts after completing Korea’s mandatory military service
By Juwon Park, Kim Tong-Hyung, Hyung-Jin Kim and The Associated PressMarch 21, 2026
3 days ago
abc
North AmericaTV
ABC cancels new ‘Bachelorette’ season after video emerges of star committing domestic abuse
By Andrew Dalton, Alicia Rancilio and The Associated PressMarch 20, 2026
4 days ago

Most Popular

Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
20 hours ago
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 23, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
22 hours ago
Economy
It took 200 years for national debt to hit $1 trillion. Annual interest alone now exceeds that—a 'crushing legacy we must reverse,' says budget chair
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
24 hours ago
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of March 23, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
23 hours ago
Success
Dairy Queen CEO says he learned from Warren Buffett being the 'smartest person in the world' isn't the most important attribute for success
By Fortune EditorsMarch 21, 2026
3 days ago
Health
Trump has TACO'd again, this time in Iran, sparking a $1.7 trillion stock market rally in minutes, even as peace talks are in question
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.