Roseanne Barr apologizes for her tweet in interview
LOS ANGELES - In Roseanne Barr’s first TV interview since her ABC sitcom was canceled for a racist tweet, the comedian apologized for her “ill-worded” post and insisted she is not a bigot.During her interview on Sean Hannity’s Fox News Channel show Thursday, Barr lamented the damage done to her by her tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser to President Barack Obama.
“It cost me everything,” Barr said. “I wish I worded it better.”
Hannity repeatedly urged Barr to apologize to Jarrett on air. The comedian eventually did, saying that she was sorry for the poorly worded tweet. She said she would tell Jarrett, “I’m sorry that you feel harm and hurt, I never meant that. I never meant to hurt anybody.”
She repeated that she did not know Jarrett was black when she likened Jarrett to a cross between the Muslim Brotherhood and a “Planet of the Apes” actor.
Barr repeatedly said Thursday that her tweet was meant to address U.S.-Middle Eastern policy and had no racial overtones. She said she was stunned by the negative reaction to the tweet, which Hannity noted was nearly universal.
“I am a creative genius, and this is not a good feeling for an artist to be treated this way, and it’s not a good feeling for a citizen, either.”
Despite apologizing at times, Barr also said she felt the tweet was being mischaracterized and she indicated she felt like she had apologized enough for her actions.
Barr, a supporter of President Donald Trump, brought him up briefly.
“I’m not a racist and the people who voted for Trump, they’re not racist either, and Trump isn’t a racist, sorry. We just have a different opinion,” she said.
She said she could have fought ABC over her firing, but that she walked away from the hit reboot because she didn’t want anybody to lose their jobs. She said her contract was supposed to allow her to correct any misstatements within 24 hours, but she wasn’t given the opportunity.
The new version of “Roseanne” was an instant smash for ABC, owned by the Walt Disney Co., and was counted on to lead the network’s fortunes next season.
Its debut episode in March was seen by more than 25 million people with delayed viewing counted in, numbers that are increasingly rare in network television. AP
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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