Every controversial step that led toward ABC's 'Roseanne' cancellation — from Pizzagate to Parkland to the final racist last straw by Travis Clark on May 29, 2018, 5:33 PM Advertisement
 On Tuesday, ABC announced it had canceled its "Roseanne" revival, hours after star Roseanne Barr tweeted a racist comment in which she compared a black former Obama adviser to an ape. That wasn't the first time Barr had made controversial comments, and because of that, the "Roseanne" reboot was always at risk. But it was also ratings gold. The show returned in March after over 20 years to over 18 million viewers for its combined two-episode premiere. As the weeks went by, viewership slightly decreased. By the beginning of this month, 10 million viewers had tuned in — a 43 percent decrease — and the show fell short of CBS' "NCIS" for the first time. But it was still the most popular scripted show of the year so far, and for ABC to cancel it so abruptly meant Barr's comments finally crossed a line. ABC bet on Trump supporters sticking with the program: Barr is an outspoken supporter herself, and her character on the show is, as well. ABC executives even said the show was a direct result of President Trump's victory in the 2016 election, and part of the network's strategy in attracting Trump supporters. That gamble doesn't seem to have paid off. Barr's tweet on Tuesday may have been the straw that broke the camel's back, but there's a lot to understand about how exactly "Roseanne" came to an end. Below is everything you need to know about the "Roseanne" cancellation: SEE ALSO: ABC cancels 'Roseanne' hours after racist tweet by its star Roseanne Barr, the show's star and co-creator, is a vocal supporter of President Trump.  Barr has frequently defended her support of Trump, who even called Barr after the revival's premiere to congratulate her on the ratings success.
But while Barr's support of Trump may have been a continuous topic of conversation, it was her history of promoting far-right conspiracy theories that first landed her in hot water.  Barr's Twitter history was layered with conspiracy theories such as Pizzagate until she deleted much of her Twitter last year. "Pizzagate" was a conspiracy that claimed that Hillary Clinton's campaign was using a Washington, D.C. pizzeria as a front for a child trafficking ring, which prompted a man to open fire in a crowded pizzeria in December. Barr has also promoted the conspiracy that the death of Democratic National Convention staffer Seth Rich was a DNC cover-up.
Barr also appeared to promote a conspiracy against Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg on Twitter.  In March, just before the "Roseanne" premiere, Barr replied "NAZI SALUTE" to a tweet that tagged Hogg. The tweet was deleted shortly after, but it appeared to be in response to a far-right conspiracy that Hogg raised a Nazi salute at a March for Our Lives rally.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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