Roseanne Barr Talks Return to TV, Racist Tweet in New Interview
Rolling Stone • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Roseanne Barr has self-financed a pilot for a new show, Meemaw: A Modern Day Fable, aiming to return to TV independently after ABC cancelled the Roseanne reboot due to her racist tweet.
- The show centers on a character similar to Barr, leading a mixed-race "prepper" family in Texas Hill Country, and features actors including Drea de Matteo, Omar Gooding, Randy Quaid, and Jon Lovitz.
- Barr acknowledged resistance in casting Black actors due to her 2018 controversial tweet comparing Valerie Jarrett to an ape, which she insists was political rather than racist and claims was written under Ambien influence.
- She expressed bitterness about how her character was written off in The Conners reboot, criticizing the opioid overdose storyline and stating she did not receive payment for the spin-off without her.
- Barr revealed strained relationships with former Roseanne castmates John Goodman and Laurie Metcalf, noting Goodman declined a cameo request for Meemaw, and reflected on past career moments and friendships in the interview.
