Drugmaker to Roseanne Barr: Racism is not a known side effect of Ambien
Roseanne Barr blamed sleeping pills for the racist tweet that got her ABC show canned. But after the drugmaker fired back with a snarky reply Wednesday, the comic may soon be looking to treat a burn.
A day after the network pulled the plug on the hit “Roseanne” reboot in response to her tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a longtime adviser and close friend of former President Barack Obama, the comedian tweeted Wednesday that her initial remark was “unforgivable” and “egregious.” Barr said it was the result of “ambien tweeting,” a reference to the common sleep aid medication.
Sanofi, the company that makes Ambien, rebuffed the assertion Wednesday on Twitter.
“People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world,” the drugmakers social media account tweeted. “While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.”
Barr had sparked outrage on Tuesday by suggesting that Jarrett, who was born in Iran and is African American, was the product of the “muslim brotherhood and planet of the apes” having “a baby.”
The remarks prompted immediate calls for boycotts of the show. On Tuesday afternoon, ABC announced the cancellation of the program.
“Roseannes Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” ABC Entertainments president, Channing Dungey, said in a statement.
Barr faced repeated backlash in recent months for stoking conspiracy theories online. But her show drew praise from President Donald Trump, who attributed its popularity in part to his supporters. Both Barr and her TV character, Roseanne Conner, voiced support for Trump.
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