Roseanne Barr is back in the headlines, and this time, it’s over what she sees as ABC’s glaring double standard.
The comedian, 72, sharply criticized the network for reinstating Jimmy Kimmel Live! just seven years after ABC fired her from the hit sitcom Roseanne.
Barr’s frustration stems from the fact that while Kimmel faced a brief suspension, she endured a permanent exile from Hollywood after a controversial tweet in 2018.
The tweet, aimed at former Obama official Valerie Jarrett, sparked a nationwide uproar and ultimately led to the cancellation of her Roseanne revival.
Kimmel’s Controversial Suspension and Swift Return
Jimmy Kimmel Live! was briefly taken off the air last week after Kimmel speculated that Charlie Kirk’s killer might have been part of the “MAGA gang.”
The comment prompted FCC chairman complaints and threats of an investigation.
The murder investigation later revealed that accused gunman Tyler Robinson held left-leaning political views and had texted his partner, Lance Twiggs (aka Luna), claiming he shot the MAGA influencer because he “had enough of his hatred.”
Twiggs is now cooperating with authorities.
Following the suspension, Hollywood outcry was swift. ABC reversed course and announced that Kimmel’s show would return to air on Tuesday, a stark contrast to Barr’s permanent removal.
Barr Recalls Her Own Fall from Grace
Barr hasn’t forgotten her own treatment.
After the 2018 tweet comparing Jarrett to the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes,” she was fired from her revival and ostracized in Hollywood.
She lost royalties, was cut off from the legacy of Roseanne, and claims she’s been erased from histories of women pioneering media.
“I got my whole life ruined, no forgiveness and all of my work stolen,” Barr told News Nation.
“It just shows how they think. It’s a double standard.”
She added that many of the people she helped launch in showbiz now avoid her entirely, especially when discussing issues like censorship.
The Fallout from the Controversial Tweet
In the immediate aftermath of her tweet, Barr deleted the post and blamed Ambien for the error.
She later insisted she didn’t know Jarrett was Black, even stating in an interview, “I thought the b**** was white!” ABC chief Channing Dungey, who has since worked with the Obamas, made the decision to fire Barr, supported by strong condemnation from her co-stars, including Sara Gilbert and Emma Kenney.
Kimmel himself had called Barr’s tweet “indefensible” in his monologue, noting it didn’t sit well with ABC management—or “anyone with a brain,” as he put it.
To continue her show and keep her colleagues employed, Barr had to relinquish her rights to royalties, including those from the original Roseanne series, which had run for nine successful seasons from 1988 to 1997.
ABC’s “Soft Punishments” Highlighted
Barr contrasted her fate with more recent controversies, including Kimmel’s brief suspension and Whoopi Goldberg’s temporary absence from The View in 2022 after controversial remarks about the Holocaust.
She accused ABC of prioritizing the protection of “low-rated shows for shareholders” while destroying the most successful ones.
She also criticized Kimmel for labeling her racist despite having engaged in blackface sketches himself during The Man Show, for which he apologized in 2020.
Praise for Independent Media and Nexstar
Even though ABC reinstated Kimmel, 70 local affiliates chose not to air his show.
Barr applauded Nexstar, which refused to broadcast Tuesday’s episode on its 32 ABC-owned affiliates.
“I just love independent media,” Barr said on her podcast.
“They’ve broken away from the big, centralized information, and that’s what America wants and needs.”
Roseanne’s Continued Fight for Recognition
A new documentary, Roseanne Is America, released this summer, sheds light on the indignities Barr suffered post-cancellation.
At one point, ABC even asked her to appear as a guest star on The Conners, essentially as a “ghost” on the show she helped build.
Barr rejected the offer, famously replying, “I’m gonna be bowling that f***ing week.”
Barr remains vocal about her feelings of injustice and continues to call out the network’s inconsistent treatment of talent, keeping her legacy—and her grievances—alive in the public eye.