Roseanne says she's 'lost everything' after being sacked from show for racist tweet

Roseanne Barr broke down in tears during an interview at the weekend, explaining that following a racist tweet and the cancellation of her TV show that she’s now ‘lost everything’.

The actress and comedian called in to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach’s US podcast to speak about the incident, again apologising to the people she offended, lamenting that she has become a ‘hate magnet’.

Barr hit headlines earlier this month when made an offensive remark on Twitter about Valerie Jarrett, a prominent official in the Obama administration.

In the tweet, she likened Jarrett to a child of the ‘Muslim brotherhood’ and ‘Planet of the Apes’.

She later blamed being on sleep medication for the comment.

“God, it’s really hard to say all of this,” Barr began. “I didn’t mean what they think I meant, and that’s what’s so painful. But I have to face that this hurt people – and when you hurt people, even unwittingly, there’s no excuse, so I don’t want to blabber off on excuses.”

She added, her voice trembling: “I apologise to anyone who felt offended and thought that I meant something that I, in fact, did not mean to my own ignorance.

She also goes on to claim that she didn’t realise that Valerie Jarrett was black, and ‘thought she was a white woman’.

“I’m a lot of things. I’m a loudmouth and all that stuff, but I’m not stupid, for God’s sake,” she went on.

“I never would have wittingly called any black person… say they are a monkey. I never would do that! And I didn’t do that.

“And if people think that I did that, it just kills me. I didn’t do that, although they think I did. And if they do think that, I am so sorry that I… you know, it was so unclear and stupid.

“I’m very sorry but I don’t think that, I never would do that. I have loved ones who are African-American. I just can’t stand it. I’ve made a huge error.

“I have to say what was in my mind and what I meant from what I did. I can’t let other people define me and project their stuff onto me. Now they’re just changing the words of what I said totally, it’s so painful.

“I have black children in my family. I can’t let ’em say these things about me after 30 years of my putting my family and my health and my livelihood at risk to stand up for people.”

ABC cancelled her show in the wake of the comment, which had only just made a comeback to screens for the first time since 1997, and delivered record ratings.

Her co-star and executive producer Sara Gilbert called the remarks ‘abhorrent’, adding that they did not reflect ‘the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show’.

It’s since been announced that ABC is to begin work on The Conners, following the family of Roseanne’s character, but without her involvement.

It will air later this year.

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