John Goodman said in an interview published Sunday that ABC’s new sitcom “The Conners” will deal with the exit of former “Roseanne” star Roseanne Barr by killing off her character.
“She had to sign a paper saying that she relinquished all her rights to the show so that we could go on,” Goodman told The Times of London. “I sent her an email and thanked her for that. I did not hear anything back, but she was going through hell at the time. And she’s still going through hell.”
Goodman played Dan Conners alongside Barr on “Roseanne” for years, including the relaunch, which began in 2017.
ABC promptly canceled “Roseanne” and fired Barr in May after she tweeted that Valerie Jarrett, former senior adviser to President Obama, was the offspring of the Muslim brotherhood and apes. – READ MORE
[divider][/divider]A sitcom star who has himself faced backlash for expressing his personal views has publicly addressed the cancellation of Roseanne Barr’s hit ABC series after a Twitter rant many perceived as racist.
In comments to reporters at the 2018 Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour earlier this week, comedian Tim Allen said he did not recognize the intolerance apparently on display in Barr’s tweets.
“You know, I go way back with Rosie and that’s not the Roseanne I know,” he said.
The 65-year-old, whose own canceled ABC series was revived in a deal with Fox this year, said the fallout over Barr’s comments forced him to address the issue with a variety of people, including his mother.
“And she goes, ‘What did she mean by all that?’” Allen said. “And I said, ‘I don’t know.’”
He went on to describe Barr as among the “most diverse and tolerant” women he has ever known.
“So whatever got in her head isn’t the Roseanne I know,” he said.
Beyond the impact on Barr’s career, Allen shared his thoughts about what he believes is an increasingly volatile environment, especially for those tasked with making audiences laugh.
He called it a “very icy time” for comedians, unlike anything he has seen in nearly four decades in the industry. – READ MORE
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