ABC executives wasted no time axing Roseanne Barr‘s eponymous reboot series over her racist tweets — because the scandal was “unsurvivable,” according to a new report Wednesday.
Bosses at the network were faced with no other option Tuesday when the comedian compared former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape and perpetuated a debunked conspiracy that billionaire George Soros was a Nazi who “turned in his fellow Jews.”
“Enough was enough,” a source told CNN, which published a blow-by-blow account behind ABC’s decision to cancel “Roseanne.”
“There was no way to come back from this,” another source added.
Barr’s tweets had in the past been problematic three or four other times — although execs didn’t specify which ones, CNN said. She’d promised in the past to stay off the social media platform.
Only she didn’t.
By 10 a.m. Eastern time, ABC execs were talking by email and phone over how to handle her latest PR disaster. They spoke to Barr and her publicist and executive producer Tom Werner, whose production company Carsey-Werner owns the beloved sitcom.
Barr was apologetic — but was told cancellation of her show was a real possibility.
By noon, about 90 minutes after Barr apologized and amid mounting criticism from cast members and fans, the decision had been made.
The bosses decided that ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey would issue a one-line statement announcing the cancellation of “Roseanne” and that Disney CEO and Chairman Bob Iger would follow up with a tweet.
“Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” Dungey’s statement said.
Iger wrote: “There was only one thing to do here, and that was the right thing.”
ABC sources told CNN that advertising dollars were not a factor in the decision — even though the network had already booked $22.7 million in ads for the show’s second season.
Tuesday was the first day back to work for the writing and producing staff for Season 2 — but now more than 200 people are out of jobs, CNN said.
A source pinned the blame directly on Barr, saying, “That’s the collateral damage that Roseanne has to live with.”
Barr was notified ahead of time in a phone call of the cancelation — but staffers only found out when Dungey’s statement was issued just before 2 p.m.
She issued another apology in a since-deleted Twitter post.
“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,” she wrote.
Werner, who executive produced the original “Roseanne” series during its run from 1988 to 1997 and its reboot, said he supported ABC’s decision, according to Deadline.
“I support ABC’s decision to cancel the show in the wake of Roseanne Barr’s most recent reprehensible tweets,” he said in a statement. “Our goal was to promote constructive discussion about the issues that divide us. It represented the work of hundreds of talented people. I hope the good work done is not totally eclipsed by these abhorrent and offensive comments, and that Roseanne seeks the help she so clearly needs.”