The former "Roseanne" star admits she was suicidal after the show's cancellation, and that her daughters keep her off of Twitter now.
As the main cast of "The Conners" were signing deals to pave the way for an inevitable Season 2 renewal by ABC, Roseanne Barr was lashing out at executive producer Sara Gilbert, comparing her former TV daughter to Hannibal Lecter.
The comedian, who was fired from the "Roseanne" revival after a racist tweet, blames Gilbert for that as well, telling the Washington Post that it was Gilbert's tweet calling her comments "abhorrent" that led to ABC president Channing Dungey canceling the show last May.
Roseanne Barr Trashes 'Low-Rated' ABC for Canceling Her Show and Firing Her in Surprise Standup Return
View StoryDungey used that same word in her statement announcing the cancellation, as reported by TMZ at the time, writing, "Roseanne's Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show."
Barr came under fire after a tweet in which she compared former senior White House adviser Valerie Jarrett, who is black, to an ape. While she deleted the tweet, apologized and continues to insist she did not know Jarrett was black, ABC quickly fired her and canceled the show.
Roseanne's recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least.
@THEsaragilbert
"Wow! Unreal," Barr tweeted in response to Gilbert's original comment. Nearly a year later, her stance hasn't softened at all. "She destroyed the show and my life with that tweet. She will never get enough until she consumes my liver with a fine Chianti," Barr told The Washington Post.
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View StoryThe actress admits that she was at a low point after the abrupt cancellation of her show, crediting her friend Rabbi Shmuley Boteach with helping lift her back up. "Shmuley saved my life," she said. "I was suicidal. He was the only person who stood by me and said they were going to destroy me because I love Trump and Israel."
Gilbert also spoke briefly with the Post on Barr, saying, "While I'm extremely disappointed and heartbroken over the dissolution of the original show, she will always be family, and I will always love Roseanne."
Now, Gilbert is on the cusp of a renewal for the show she headlines that spun out of the ashes of "Roseanne." She and the other three principal cast members; John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Lecy Goranson; have all reportedly signed lucrative new deals to come back for a 13-episode second season of "The Conners," according to Deadline.
'The Conners' Ends Its First Season with 3 Shockers -- Including Breakdown Over Roseanne
View StoryOn top of that, Deadline reports the foursome has picked up a piece of the series' back end, assuring a percentage of the show's profits and lucrative pay should "The Conners" reach syndication someday. It's those rights, among others, that Barr gave up so that ABC could even develop "The Conners" based on characters she helped create and develop.
While "The Conners" wasn't quite the ratings juggernaut of "Roseanne's" revival season -- which never dropped below 15 million viewers -- it still averaged 9.5 million total viewers and emerged as the season's number one new comedy, and the top comedy overall for its network.
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