Roseanne Barr may have taken a backseat in her career following a controversial moment that led to Hollywood turning its back on her, but she’s bounced back and proved that she did not spend all those years quietly waiting for everything to die down. Just like the many times she stumbled in her career, Barr found her way back – only this time, she made a bigger comeback.
Barr is an American comedian and actress who is best known for her self-titled television series “Roseanne.” Barr won an Emmy Award and Golden Globe for Best Actress for her performance on the show. She began her career as a stand-up comedian in 1980 after already living as a full-time wife and mother. She drew on this experience for her comedy act, coining the phrase “domestic goddess” to refer to homemakers.
In 1985, Barr appeared on “The Tonight Show” for a stand-up comedy bit and quickly gained popularity. This led to her own HBO special called “The Roseanne Show.” The program won her an American Comedy Award for Best Female Performer. The success of her stand-up career drew the attention of television producers, and Barr was offered her own ABC series titled “Roseanne.”
The hit sitcom ran from 1988 to 1997 and won acclaim and fans as one of television’s first depictions of a normal, blue-collar family and typical slice-of-life shenanigans. The show was also lauded for having relatively normal and unglamorous actors in starring roles who looked like normal people, such as Barr and her husband on the show, played by John Goodman.
However, just as her career was picking up again with a reboot of the series, a Twitter scandal in 2018 saw Barr shunned by the industry and her onscreen work was forced to take a backseat.
Roseanne Barr (2018), (Vera Anderson/WireImage/Getty Images)
In May 2018, Barr was fired from the revival series “Roseanne” after posting a controversial tweet. The racial overtones of the tweet caused an uproar and gained so much negative attention in the press that the revival of “Roseanne” was canceled, but a spin-off was quickly ordered focusing on Sara Gilbert’s character of Darlene, called “The Connors.”
Before the show was canceled, Barr’s co-star Sara Gilbert tweeted and called her comments “abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show.”
“She destroyed the show and my life with that tweet,” Barr later said. “She will never get enough until she consumes my liver with a fine Chianti.”
But the mother of five went on with her life and appeared content living at her sprawling mansion in Honokaa, Hawaii, with her longtime partner and playing host to her many grandchildren – until she made her much-awaited comeback.
In February 2023, Barr recalled in an interview with the Los Angeles Times what she had gone through during those times – including the pain she felt back then. In fact, she was affected both physically and emotionally.
“I would die many times. I guess you would call it the dark night of the soul. I felt like the devil himself was coming against me to try to tear me apart, to punish me for believing in God,” she said.
For Barr, what felt even more painful was the fact that she wasn’t given the chance to apologize – even though it cost the studio losing their number one show at the time.
Roseanne Barr (2016), (Michael Boardman/FilmMagic/Getty Images)
“And they denied me the right to apologize. Oh my God, they just hated me so badly. I had never known that they hated me like that. They hate me because I have talent, because I have an opinion. Even though ‘Roseanne’ became their No. 1 show, they’d rather not have a No. 1 show,” she elaborated.
Recalling her harrowing experience, she said: “I’ve survived. I’ve come out on the other side of it, finally. But it was a witch-burning. And it was terrifying.”
While it was a moment in her career that she would never forget, Barr said she managed to come out on the other side by thinking of her many contributions throughout the years.
In February 2023, Barr officially made her big comeback with a new stand-up special called “Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!” and a documentary examining her tumultuous career called “Who Is Roseanne Barr?” To celebrate her return, she shared a photo of her flaunting her new hairdo and nails.
“I had to take this picture while I had nails pressed on. I eat my nails to the nub- so I am going to enjoy this while I can,” she wrote in the caption of her post.
It seems she has found renewed confidence in herself as she even took the chance to send a message to Rihanna’s partner, A$AP Rocky, who is 36 years younger than her. “Call me when you get tired of Rihanna,” she said.
Barr admitted that she is in a better place now – but that’s because she believes she’s strong enough to overcome any obstacles, even if it means getting thrown under the bus.
During a February 2023 interview with Fox News, Barr talked about her comeback and what it was like to return to stand-up comedy. She talked about how Gilbert initially told her to let the harsh comments go, but Barr said, “I’m hardly gonna let it go.” Barr said she had a “nervous breakdown” following her cancellation, but has found a way to regain her strength in the process of returning to comedy.
A separate video from Fox News showed Barr on the night of her stand-up comedy special. The routine started with Barr promising to offend as many people as she could. “I came back because I guess something’s wrong with me or something. I guess something’s in me,” she said.
In an interview with Fox News, Barr talked more about her return to stand-up as a way for her to have her say. “My jokes are so great,” she explained. “They’re the most offensive.” The comedian continued:
“We’re going to be even more offensive than we’ve ever been before.”
Barr added, “You’ve got to be so offensive to offend the most offensive thing that is on earth right now. And I think I’ve done it.”
Barr posted a clip from “Roseanne Barr: Cancel This!” on Instagram, and the comments were a mix of people celebrating her return and others upset that she was given a new platform.
“It was a great show Rosie! What a comeback!!!” one person commented, and added, “It was great seeing you on stage again!” However, another person said, “Omg Stop !!! Voice is like nails on a chalkboard your washed up 👎🏼👎🏼👎🏼sadly NOT funny anymore either.”
Barr appears to be doing well at offending people while making others laugh.
