Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952) is an American actress, comedian, writer, producer, and former presidential candidate. Barr began her career in
stand-up comedy
Stand-up comedy is a comedic performance to a live audience in which the performer addresses the audience directly from the stage. The performer is known as a comedian, a comic or a stand-up.
Stand-up comedy consists of one-liners, stories, ...
before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom ''
Roseanne'' (1988–1997; 2018). She won an
Emmy and a
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
for Best Actress for her work on the show.
Barr became a stand-up comedian in 1980. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, she gained fame through her role in ''Roseanne'' and other performances. Barr sparked controversy when performing "
The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...
" at a nationally aired baseball game on July 25, 1990. After singing the anthem in what many perceived to be a deliberately disrespectful manner, Barr grabbed her groin and spat. This performance was met with condemnation from baseball fans and sportswriters, and was called "disgraceful" by then-President
George H. W. Bush.
Barr has been active and outspoken on political issues. She won nearly 70,000 votes for president in the 2012 presidential election as the nominee of the left-wing
Peace and Freedom Party
The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a left-wing political party with affiliates and former members in more than a dozen American states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana and Utah, but none now have ballot status besides C ...
.
After
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
announced his candidacy for president in 2015, Kelly Weill of ''
The Daily Beast
''The Daily Beast'' is an American news website focused on politics, media, and pop culture. It was founded in 2008.
It has been characterized as a "high-end tabloid" by Noah Shachtman, the site's editor-in-chief from 2018 to 2021. In a 20 ...
'' wrote that Barr "veered right" in her politics. After ''Roseanne'' was revived, Trump called her to congratulate her on her show's ratings and thank her for her support. She has frequently defended her support of Trump, and has been criticized for making personal attacks and promoting
conspiracy theories and
fake news
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in realit ...
.
''Roseanne'' was revived in 2018 on
ABC. A ratings success, it was renewed for an additional season but was canceled after Barr made a controversial
tweet condemned as racist by many commentators. Barr referred to the tweet as a "bad joke". In 2022, she announced a comeback comedy special to be released on
Fox Nation in 2023.
Early life
Barr was born on November 3, 1952, in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
,
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
, to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family. She is the oldest of four children born to Helen (née Davis), a
bookkeeper and cashier, and Jerome Hershel "Jerry" Barr,
who worked as a salesman.
Her father's family were Jewish emigrants from
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
, and her maternal grandparents were Jewish emigrants from
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
-
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
and
Lithuania.
Her paternal grandfather changed his surname from "Borisofsky" to "Barr" upon entering the United States.
Her Jewish upbringing was influenced by her devoutly
Orthodox Jewish maternal grandmother.
Barr's parents kept their Jewish heritage secret from their neighbors and were partially involved in
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ...
.
Barr has stated, "Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning I was a Jew; Sunday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon we were Mormons."
When Barr was three years old, she got
Bell's palsy on the left side of her face. Barr said, "
omy mother called in a rabbi to pray for me, but nothing happened. Then my mother got a Mormon preacher, he prayed, and I was miraculously cured". Years later, Barr learned that Bell's palsy was usually temporary and that the Mormon elder came "exactly at the right time".
Barr has stated that she is on the
autism spectrum
The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
. At six years old, she discovered her first public stage by lecturing at LDS churches around Utah and was elected president of a Mormon youth group.
At 16, Barr was hit by a car; the incident left her with a traumatic brain injury.
Her behavior changed so radically that she was institutionalized for eight months at
Utah State Hospital.
In 1970, when Barr was 18 years old, she moved out by informing her parents she was going to visit a friend in Colorado for two weeks, but never returned.
The following year, Barr had a baby, whom she put up for adoption. Seventeen years later, they reunited amicably.
Career
Stand-up comedian: 1980–1986
While in Colorado, Barr did stand-up gigs in clubs in Denver and other Colorado towns. She later tried out at
The Comedy Store in Los Angeles and went on to appear on ''
The Tonight Show'' in 1985.
In 1986, she performed on a
Rodney Dangerfield
Rodney Dangerfield (born Jacob Rodney Cohen; November 22, 1921 – October 5, 2004) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, screenwriter, and producer. He was known for his self-deprecating one-liner humor, his catchphrase "I don't get no re ...
special and on ''
Late Night with David Letterman
''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production company ...
'', and the following year had her own
HBO special called ''The Roseanne Barr Show'', which earned her an
American Comedy Award for the funniest female performer in a television special.
Barr was offered the role of Peg Bundy in ''
Married... with Children'' but turned it down. In her routine she popularized the phrase, "domestic goddess", to refer to a homemaker or housewife. The success of her act led to her own series on
ABC, called ''
Roseanne''.
''Roseanne'' sitcom, film, books, and talk show: 1987–2004
In 1987, ''
The Cosby Show'' executive producers
Marcy Carsey and
Tom Werner wanted to bring a "no-perks family comedy" to television. They hired ''Cosby'' writer
Matt Williams to write a script about factory workers and signed Barr to play
Roseanne Conner
Roseanne Harris Conner is the title character of the TV series ''Roseanne'', created and portrayed by comedian and namesake Roseanne Barr. Roseanne, in a takeoff of her stand-up comedic and presumed real-life persona, is bossy, loud, caustic, over ...
.
The show premiered on October 18, 1988, and was watched by 21.4 million households, making it the highest-rated debut of that season.
Barr became outraged when she watched the first episode of ''Roseanne'' and noticed that in the credits, Williams was listed as creator.
She told Tanner Stransky of ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cult ...
'', "We built the show around my actual life and my kids. The 'domestic goddess', the whole thing."
In the same interview, Werner said, "I don't think Roseanne, to this day, understands that this is something legislated by the
Writers Guild, and it's part of what every show has to deal with. They're the final arbiters."
During the first season, Barr sought more creative control over the show, opposing Williams' authority. Barr refused to say certain lines and eventually walked off set. She threatened to quit the show if Williams did not leave. ABC let Williams go after the thirteenth episode.
Barr gave
Amy Sherman-Palladino and
Joss Whedon their first writing jobs on ''Roseanne''.
[
''Roseanne'' ran for nine seasons from 1988 to 1997. Barr won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, a Kids' Choice Award, and three American Comedy Awards for her part in the show. Barr had crafted a "fierce working-class domestic goddess" persona in the eight years preceding her sitcom and wanted to do a realistic show about a strong mother "who was not a victim of patriarchal consumerism."][Barr, R. (May 15, 2011]
"And I Should Know"
''New York Magazine''
For the final two seasons, Barr earned $40 million, making her the second-highest-paid woman in show business at the time, after Oprah Winfrey.
Barbara Ehrenreich called Barr a working-class spokesperson representing "the hopeless underclass of the female sex: polyester-clad, overweight occupants of the slow track; fast-food waitresses, factory workers, housewives, members of the invisible pink-collar army; the despised, the jilted, the underpaid," but a master of "the kind of class-militant populism that the Democrats, most of them anyway, never seem to get right." Barr refuses to use the term "blue collar" because it masks the issue of class.
During ''Roseanne''s final season, Barr was in negotiations between Carsey-Werner Productions and ABC executives to continue playing Roseanne Conner
Roseanne Harris Conner is the title character of the TV series ''Roseanne'', created and portrayed by comedian and namesake Roseanne Barr. Roseanne, in a takeoff of her stand-up comedic and presumed real-life persona, is bossy, loud, caustic, over ...
in a spin-off. After failed discussions with ABC as well as CBS and Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelv ...
, Carsey-Werner and Barr agreed not to continue the negotiations.
She released her autobiography in 1989, titled ''Roseanne—My Life As a Woman''. That same year, she made her film debut in '' She-Devil'', playing a scorned housewife, Ruth. Film critic Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave her a positive review saying, "Barr could have made an easy, predictable and dumb comedy at any point in the last couple of years. Instead, she took her chances with an ambitious project—a real movie. It pays off, in that Barr demonstrates that there is a core of reality inside her TV persona, a core of identifiable human feelings like jealousy and pride, and they provide a sound foundation for her comic acting."
In 1991, she voiced the baby Julie in '' Look Who's Talking Too''. She was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress.
She appeared three times on ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serve ...
'' from 1991 to 1994, co-hosting with then-husband Tom Arnold in 1992.
In 1994, she released a second book, ''My Lives''. That same year, Barr became the first female comedian to host the MTV Video Music Awards on her own. She remained the only one to have done so until comedian Chelsea Handler hosted in 2010. In 1997, she made guest appearances on '' 3rd Rock from the Sun'' and '' The Nanny''.
In 1998, she portrayed the Wicked Witch of the West in a production of ''The Wizard of Oz
''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' or ''The Wizard of Oz'' most commonly refers to:
*'' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', a 1900 American novel by L. Frank Baum often reprinted as ''The Wizard of Oz''
** Wizard of Oz (character), from the Baum novel serie ...
'' at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...
. That same year, Barr hosted her own talk show, ''The Roseanne Show
''The Roseanne Show'' was a syndicated talk show hosted by American actress Roseanne Barr following the end of her long-running sitcom. The show featured Roseanne interviewing a mixture of quirky guests along with Roseanne's signature style o ...
'', which ran for two years before it was canceled in 2000.
In the summer of 2003, she took on the dual role of hosting a cooking show called ''Domestic Goddess'' and starring in a reality show called '' The Real Roseanne Show'' about hosting a cooking show. Although 13 episodes were in production, a hysterectomy brought a premature end to both projects.
In 2004, she voiced Maggie, one of the main characters in the animated film '' Home on the Range''.
Return to stand-up, television guest appearances, and radio: 2005–2010
In 2005, she returned to stand-up comedy with a world tour.
In February 2006, Barr performed her first-ever live dates in Europe as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival in Leicester, England. The shows took place at De Montfort Hall
De Montfort Hall is the largest music and performance venue in Leicester, England. It is situated adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park and is named after the "Father of Parliament", Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, Simon ...
. She released her first children's DVD, ''Rockin' with Roseanne: Calling All Kids'', that month.
Barr's return to the stage culminated in an HBO Comedy Special ''Roseanne Barr: Blonde N Bitchin, which aired November 2006, on HBO. Two nights earlier, Barr had returned to primetime network TV with a guest spot on NBC's '' My Name Is Earl'', playing a crazy trailer park manager.
In April 2007, Barr hosted season three of ''The Search for the Funniest Mom in America
''The Search for the Funniest Mom in America'', or simply ''Funniest Mom'', is an American reality competition television series that aired on Nick at Nite for three seasons, from 2005 to 2007. Each season had ten female comedians (all mothers) co ...
'' on Nick at Nite.
In March 2008, she headlined an act at the Sahara Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is a stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard South in Clark County, Nevada, that is known for its concentration of resort hotels and casinos. The Strip, as it is known, is about long, and is immediately south of the Las Vegas cit ...
.
From 2009 to 2010, she hosted a politically themed radio show on KPFK.
Since 2008, she and partner Johnny Argent have hosted a weekly radio show on Sundays, on KCAA
KCAA (1050 AM) is a commercial radio station located in Loma Linda, California, broadcasting to the Inland Empire, with studios located at 1378 Industrial Park Avenue in Redlands. KCAA airs news, talk, music and brokered programming.
KCAA c ...
in the Los Angeles area, called "The Roseanne and Johnny Show".
On March 23, 2009, it was announced that Barr would be returning to primetime with a new sitcom, wherein she would once again play the matriarch. Jim Vallely of '' Arrested Development'' had been tapped to pen the series. She later stated on her website that the project had been canceled.
On April 15, 2009, Barr made an appearance on Bravo's 2nd Annual A-List Awards in the opening scenes. She played Kathy Griffin's fairy godmother, granting her wish to be on the A-List for one night only.
In February 2010, Barr headlined the inaugural Traverse City Comedy Arts Festival in a project of the Traverse City Film Festival, founded by filmmaker Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore (born April 23, 1954) is an American filmmaker, author and left-wing activist. His works frequently address the topics of globalization and capitalism.
Moore won the 2002 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for ...
. Moore developed the comedy fest with comedian Jeff Garlin.
In 2010, Barr appeared in Jordan Brady's documentary about stand-up comedy, ''I Am Comic
''I Am Comic'' is a 2010 documentary about the stand-up comedy world directed by Jordan Brady.
Overview
Directed by former stand-up comic Jordan Brady and starring and narrated by ex-comedian turned comedy writer Ritch Shydner, the film explores ...
''.
Reality television, ''Roseanne'' revival and new comedy special: 2011–present
In January 2011, Barr released her third book, ''Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm''.
In 2011, she appeared in a Super Bowl XLV commercial for Snickers
Snickers is a chocolate bar made by the American company Mars, Incorporated, consisting of nougat topped with caramel and peanuts that is encased in milk chocolate. The annual global sales of Snickers was over $3 billion .
In the United Ki ...
along with comedian Richard Lewis. It was the most popular ad, based on the number of TiVo users rewinding and watching it over.
On July 13, 2011, '' Roseanne's Nuts'', a reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
featuring Barr, boyfriend Johnny Argent, and son Jake as they run a macadamia nut and livestock farm in Big Island, Hawaii was premiered on Lifetime
Lifetime may refer to:
* Life expectancy, the length of time a person is expected to remain alive
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Lifetime (band), a rock band from New Jersey
* ''Life Time'' (Rollins Band album), by Rollins Band
* ...
, but was canceled in September of that year.
In August 2011, it was reported that Barr was working on a new sitcom with 20th Century Fox Television titled ''Downwardly Mobile''. Eric Gilliland was attached as co-creator, writer and executive producer; Gilliland was also a writer on ''Roseanne''. In October 2011, NBC picked up the show but later dropped it. A pilot was filmed but initially ended up being shelved by the network. Barr called her progressive politics the sole reason behind the pilot's rejection. She said she was notified that the show would not be picked up due to its being labeled "too polarizing" by network executives.
Barr was roasted
Roasting is a cooking method that uses dry heat where hot air covers the food, cooking it evenly on all sides with temperatures of at least from an open flame, oven, or other heat source. Roasting can enhance the flavor through caramelizati ...
by Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy program ...
in August 2012. After stating that he would not, Barr's former spouse Tom Arnold appeared on the roast.
In the summer of 2014 Barr joined Keenen Ivory Wayans and Russell Peters
Russell Dominic Peters (born September 29, 1970) is a Canadian stand-up comedian, actor, and producer. He began performing in Toronto in 1989 and won a Gemini Award in 2008. In 2013, he was number three on ''Forbes'' list of the world's highe ...
as a judge on '' Last Comic Standing'' on NBC.
On November 28, 2014, Barr's series, ''Momsters: When Moms Go Bad'' debuted on the Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. As of February 2015, approximately 86 million Amer ...
cable network, a network that she says she's a "little obsessed with". Barr hosts the show as herself.
On April 28, 2017, it was reported that Barr, along with most of the original cast, were shopping an eight-episode revival of ''Roseanne'', with its original cast and Barr serving as producer, to various networks and Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
. On May 16, 2017, ABC picked up the revival for mid-season 2018.
On March 27, 2018, the revived, 10th season of ''Roseanne'' premiered on ABC to high ratings. On March 30, 2018, ABC renewed the series for an 11th season, with thirteen episodes. On May 29, 2018, the series was canceled by ABC in the aftermath of a tweet widely considered to be racist. Barr and Tom Werner later came to an agreement on relinquishing her producer's stake in a spin-off titled '' The Conners'', which ABC ordered for the fall season soon after.
In September 2022, it was announced that Barr would appear in a new comedy special, simply titled ''A Roseanne Comedy Special''. It is set to be released in early 2023 on the streaming service Fox Nation.
Personal life
Relationships and children
Barr has been married three times and has five children. In 1970, when she was 17, Barr had a child, Brandi Ann Brown, whom she placed for adoption; they were later reunited. On February 4, 1974, Barr married Bill Pentland, a motel clerk she met while in Colorado. They had three children: Jessica, Jennifer, and Jake. Pentland and Barr divorced on January 16, 1990. Four days later, on January 20, 1990, Barr married fellow comedian Tom Arnold and became known as Roseanne Arnold during the marriage. Barr had met Arnold in 1983 in Minneapolis
Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with list of lakes in Minneapolis, thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. ...
, where he opened for her stand-up comedy act. In 1988, Barr brought Arnold onto her sitcom, ''Roseanne'', as a writer.
Barr filed for divorce from Tom Arnold on April 18, 1994 in the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, citing irreconcilable differences. Their efforts to have children were unsuccessful.
On February 14, 1995, Barr married Ben Thomas, her one-time personal security guard, at Caesars Tahoe with a reception at Planet Hollywood. In November 1994, she became pregnant through in vitro fertilization and they had a son named Buck. The couple stayed together until 2002.
In 2002, Barr met Johnny Argent online after running a writing competition on her blog and began dating him in 2003, after a year of phone conversations. They live on a macadamia nut farm located on the Big Island of Hawaii. Barr purchased the property in 2007 for $1.78 million. Barr has studied Kabbalah
Kabbalah ( he, קַבָּלָה ''Qabbālā'', literally "reception, tradition") is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ( ''Məqūbbāl'' "receiver"). The de ...
at the Kabbalah Centre and frequently comments on the discipline.
Family conflicts
Barr's sister, Geraldine, is a lesbian, while her brother, Ben, is gay. Barr has stated that this inspired her to introduce gay characters into her sitcom, and to support same sex marriage
Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...
.
Geraldine worked as Barr's manager during the early part of her career, and clashed with Barr's second husband, Tom Arnold. Barr fired Geraldine, leading Geraldine to file a $70.3 million breach of contract lawsuit in Superior Court of Los Angeles County
The Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, is the California superior court with jurisdiction over Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles. It is the largest single unified trial court in the United States.
The ...
on December 18, 1991. She said Barr promised her half the earnings from the ''Roseanne'' show as recompense for helping invent the "domestic goddess" character in 1981, and for serving as "writer, organizer, accountant, bookkeeper and confidante". Since the statute of limitations
A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In m ...
had expired, the suit was thrown out.
In a 1991 interview with ''People'', Barr described herself as an incest
Incest ( ) is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by affinity ( marriage or stepfamily), ado ...
survivor, accusing both of her parents of physical and sexual abuse
Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...
, claims which they and Geraldine publicly denied. Melvin Belli, her parents' lawyer, said they had passed a lie detector test "with flying colors". Barr was part of an incest recovery group, something she said her parents knew about but for which they were "in denial".
On February 14, 2011, Barr and Geraldine appeared on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show
''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime broadcast syndication, syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicag ...
'' where Barr admitted the word "incest" could have been the wrong word to use and should have waited until her therapy was over before revealing the "darkest time" in her life. She told Oprah Winfrey, "I was in a very unhappy relationship and I was prescribed numerous psychiatric drugs ... to deal with the fact that I had some mental illness ... I totally lost touch with reality ... (and) I didn't know what the truth was ... I just wanted to drop a bomb on my family". She added that not everything was "made up", saying, "Nobody accuses their parents of abusing them without justification". Geraldine said they did not speak for 12 years, but had reconciled.
Health problems
In the mid-1990s, Barr had multiple cosmetic surgeries performed, such as a breast reduction, tummy tuck, and a nose job. During the late 1990s she had gastric bypass surgery.
In 1994, Roseanne announced that she had dissociative identity disorder
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), better known as multiple personality disorder or multiple personality syndrome, is a mental disorder characterized by the presence of at least two distinct and relatively enduring personality states.
The d ...
caused by childhood abuse. She had personalities named Baby, Cindy, Evangelina, Fucker, Heather, Joey, Kevin, Nobody, Somebody, and Susan as well as her main personality, Roseanne. By 2001, her personalities had mostly fused into one personality after ten years of hard work.
In 2015, Barr revealed she had been diagnosed with both macular degeneration and glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye re ...
, and thus was gradually losing her eyesight and expected to eventually go blind. She consumed medical marijuana
Medical cannabis, or medical marijuana (MMJ), is cannabis and cannabinoids that are prescribed by physicians for their patients. The use of cannabis as medicine has not been rigorously tested due to production and governmental restrictio ...
to decrease her high intraocular pressure - a feature of these diseases. Barr later revealed that she was misdiagnosed and that her vision problem is really due to a mole resting behind her eye, which could be corrected through surgery. In November 2018, Barr was said to have had a heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...
, but she later stated on social media that she was not experiencing any medical issues.
Controversies
National anthem
On July 25, 1990, Barr performed "The Star-Spangled Banner
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...
" off-key before a baseball game between the San Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...
and Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...
at Jack Murphy Stadium. She later said she was singing as loudly as possible to hear herself over the public-address system, so her rendition of the song sounded "screechy". Following her rendition, she mimicked the often-seen actions of players by spitting and grabbing her crotch as if adjusting a protective cup. Barr later said that the Padres had suggested she "bring humor to the song", but many criticized the episode, including President George H. W. Bush, who called her rendition "disgraceful".[ Barr revisited this incident during her '' Comedy Central Roast'' in 2012, wherein she once again belted out the last few bars of the national anthem, without screeching.
]
Hitler photoshoot
Barr elicited criticism in July 2009 when she posed as Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
in a feature for the satirical
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...
Jewish publication '' Heeb'' magazine, called "That Oven Feelin. The Nazi theme was reportedly her suggestion, and featured her with a Hitler mustache and swastika
The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. I ...
arm-band, holding a tray of burnt gingerbread man cookies the article referred to as "burnt Jew cookies". The magazine's publisher, Josh Neuman, said the photos were taken for satire and were not done for shock value. Barr, who is Jewish, said she was "making fun of Hitler, not his victims". Fox News
The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ...
TV host Bill O'Reilly was highly critical of her for "mocking the Holocaust
The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
" and ''Extra'''s Mario Lopez stated "Come on, Roseanne. Hitler jokes are never funny." The revival of her show in March 2018 caused the photos to resurface on social media
Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social me ...
and renewed mentions of the incident in the Jewish magazine ''The Forward
''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ...
'' and the ''Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'', among others.
Zimmerman and Parkland shooting tweets
In 2014, the parents of George Zimmerman
George Michael Zimmerman (born October 5, 1983) is an American man who fatally shot Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old black boy, in Sanford, Florida, on February 26, 2012. On July 13, 2013, he was acquitted of second-degree murder in '' Flor ...
, the man known for fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, filed a lawsuit against Barr for tweeting their home address and phone number in 2012. Zimmerman's parents allege that Barr sought to "cause a lynch mob to descend" on their home. In August 2015, summary judgment
In law, a summary judgment (also judgment as a matter of law or summary disposition) is a judgment entered by a court for one party and against another party summarily, i.e., without a full trial. Summary judgments may be issued on the merits of ...
was granted in favor of Barr.
In late March 2018, Barr tweeted about a conspiracy theory involving David Hogg, a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida. The conspiracy theory falsely claimed that Hogg gave a Nazi salute at a March for Our Lives rally on March 24. Barr later deleted her tweet.
George Soros
Barr claimed that George Soros helped Nazis to round up Jews to be sent to concentration camps. In reality, his assimilated father entrusted him to a Hungarian official with whom the 14-year-old Soros went to inventory a Jewish property. Soros said he need not feel guilt, since, if he hadn't have been there, "somebody else would ... be taking it away anyhow". In response to a tweet about Soros by Chelsea Clinton, Barr tweeted using a clip from ''60 Minutes
''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who chose to set it apart from other news programs by using a unique st ...
'' interview of Soros and misquoted him. She later apologized for her comments.
Valerie Jarrett tweets and ''Roseanne'' cancelation
On May 29, 2018, Barr responded to a thread on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
about Valerie Jarrett, a senior advisor to former President Obama. It reads "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj". The tweet was widely criticized as being racist about Jarrett ("vj"). Barr was initially defensive, but later posted an apology "for making a bad joke about arrett'spolitics and her looks." She disputed allegations of racism, tweeting she believed Jarrett was Saudi, Jewish, and Persian, and released a video where she claims she "thought the bitch was white", and that she was being labelled a racist for having voted for Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
. Barr also said she made the tweet, which she called wrong and indefensible, at 2:00 am while on Ambien
Zolpidem, sold under the brand name Ambien, among others, is a medication primarily used for the short-term treatment of sleeping problems. Guidelines recommend that it be used only after cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and behavior ...
, a sedative. Sanofi, which manufactures Ambien, responded by tweeting that "racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication", though noted Ambien had been linked to reduced inhibitions. Later that day, ABC canceled ''Roseanne'' and removed the show's content from the network website. The cancelation announcement from ABC president Channing Dungey, the first African-American woman to head the network, called Barr's remark "abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values." Within three weeks, the television show was revived as spinoff '' The Conners'', with mostly the same cast and crew, minus Barr. In a later interview with Sean Hannity, Barr said that her tweet was intended to be a political statement rather than a racial one, stating that she was unaware that Jarrett was black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...
when she made her tweet, due to her light skin, having thought she was white
White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...
.
Political activities
2012 presidential campaign
On August 5, 2011, Barr appeared on '' The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' and announced her candidacy for president in the 2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January: E ...
, running on the self-created "Green Tea Party" ticket. Her candidacy called attention to economics, personal health and meditation.
She also stated she would run for Prime Minister of Israel
The prime minister of Israel ( he, רֹאשׁ הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה, Rosh HaMemshala, Head of the Government, Hebrew acronym: he2, רה״מ; ar, رئيس الحكومة, ''Ra'īs al-Ḥukūma'') is the head of government and chief exec ...
. In an interview with ''The Jewish Daily Forward
''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ...
'' she invoked tikkun olam in her support of bringing women into politics and religion.
On September 19, she appeared at the Occupy Wall Street protests and spoke in support of the protestors. "She stated any 'guilty' Wall Street bankers should be forced to give up any income over $100 million, and if they are unable to live on that, be sent to re-education camps, and if that doesn't help be beheaded".
Barr filed with the Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is an independent regulatory agency of the United States whose purpose is to enforce campaign finance law in United States federal elections. Created in 1974 through amendments to the Federal Election Cam ...
as a Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundati ...
presidential candidate in January 2012. She formally announced her candidacy for the party's presidential nomination on February 2. On July 14, she came in second in the 2012 Green Party presidential primaries
The Green Party of the United States held primaries in several states in 2012. Jill Stein
Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and former political candidate. She was the Green Party's nominee for President ...
and subsequent convention roll call, losing the nomination to Jill Stein
Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and former political candidate. She was the Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections and the Green-Rainbow Party's candid ...
. Stein chose Cheri Honkala
Cheri Lynn Honkala (; born January 12, 1963) is an American anti-poverty advocate, co-founder of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU) and co-founder and National Coordinator of the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign. She has been ...
as her running-mate after campaign manager Ben Manski said Barr was shortlisted for the job.
Barr was given a prime speaking role at the Green Party National Convention in Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, Maryland, but decided to instead send a surrogate ( Farheen Hakeem) to speak on her behalf. Barr's surrogate reportedly chided the party for not respecting Barr's candidacy. A shouting match in a hallway reportedly ensued.
Barr repeatedly criticized Jill Stein
Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and former political candidate. She was the Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections and the Green-Rainbow Party's candid ...
after losing the Green Party nomination, and caused controversy by using alleged transphobic words in statements about Stein on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
.
Shortly after losing the Green Party nomination, Barr announced that she would run on the Peace and Freedom Party
The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a left-wing political party with affiliates and former members in more than a dozen American states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana and Utah, but none now have ballot status besides C ...
ticket with activist Cindy Sheehan as her running mate
A running mate is a person running together with another person on a joint ticket during an election. The term is most often used in reference to the person in the subordinate position (such as the vice presidential candidate running with a pres ...
. On August 4, 2012, Barr won the presidential nomination of the Peace and Freedom Party.
Barr's running mate, Cindy Sheehan, immediately had disagreements with Barr, from Barr's views on policy, to Barr's desire to only campaign online, and Barr's treatment of Green Party nominee Jill Stein
Jill Ellen Stein (born May 14, 1950) is an American physician, activist, and former political candidate. She was the Green Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections and the Green-Rainbow Party's candid ...
, leading Sheehan to request that her name be taken off the Peace and Freedom Party ticket. Sheehan was told it was too late to have her name removed, so she instead announced that she would be leaving the campaign.
Barr appeared on the ballot in California, Colorado, and Florida. She did not appear on the ballot in her home state of Hawaii, which did not allow write-in votes. She ended up voting for President Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
. She received 67,326 votes nationwide, placing sixth overall with 0.05% of the popular vote; Stein, who appeared on the ballot of thirty-six states and the District of Columbia
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan ...
, placed far ahead of her in fourth place with 0.36% of the popular vote and 469,627 votes.
Barr was followed by a film crew throughout her entire campaign, with documentarian Eric Weinrib directing, leading to questions about the sincerity of her campaign. Over 300 hours were filmed and were released as a film called ''Roseanne for President!'' Despite questions of her sincerity regarding her campaign, Barr and her family have insisted her desire to run for president was "very real."
Endorsements
*Green Party
A green party is a formally organized political party based on the principles of green politics, such as social justice, environmentalism and nonviolence.
Greens believe that these issues are inherently related to one another as a foundati ...
Black Caucus
* National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws
*Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia Ann McKinney (born March 17, 1955) is an American politician, academic, and conspiracy theorist. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms in the United States House of Representatives. She was the first African American ...
, 2008 Green Party nominee
Support for Donald Trump
Barr voiced her support for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...
in a June 2016 ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...
'' interview. "I think we would be so lucky if Trump won. Because then it wouldn't be Hillary."
A July 2016 CNN story reported she did not endorse Trump as she only supports herself for president—"I will be writing myself in in every election from now until I win."
In March 2018, Barr retweeted a false claim by QAnon conspiracy theorist Liz Crokin that Trump had saved hundreds of children from sex traffickers during his first month in office, as well as similar misinformation about child trafficking. Barr later deleted her tweets.
In May 2018, Barr defended her support for Trump on ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It is the seventh in ...
''.
Discography
Album
* 1990: ''I Enjoy Being a Girl'' ( Hollywood Records) CD/Cassette
Audiobook
* 2011: ''Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm'' (Unabridged) CD/Download
Filmography
Film
Television
Host
Awards
Roseanne Barr has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Calif ...
on the north side of the 6700 block of Hollywood Blvd.
Bibliography
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References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Barr, Roseanne
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