Jerry Seinfeld: Roseanne Barr didn't need to be fired

26 June 2018

Jerry Seinfeld doesn't believe it was "necessary" to fire Roseanne Barr from her eponymously titled sitcom following her racist tweets.

Jerry Seinfeld

The 65-year-old TV star had her sitcom cancelled last month after she likened Valerie Jarrett, a former adviser of Barack Obama, to an ape, but now fellow comedian Jerry has said he doesn't think ABC needed to cancel the show and end Roseanne's career, as she was already "ruining" it for herself.

He said: "I didn't see why it was necessary to fire her. Why would you murder someone who's committing suicide? But I never saw someone ruin their entire career with one button push. That was fresh."

ABC recently confirmed that a spin-off show entitled 'The Conners' would be taking place without Roseanne, and whilst Jerry, 64, approves of the idea, he thinks the character of Roseanne should return with a different actress in the role.

The 'Seinfeld' star added to 'Entertainment Tonight': "I think they should get another Roseanne. They brought Dan Conner back, he was dead and they brought him back. So, why can't we get another Roseanne? There's other funny women that could do that part. You need to get the comic in there. I hate to see a comic lose a job."

Previously, ABC had revealed 'The Conners' has been ordered for a 10-episode series this autumn, and it appears the character of Roseanne could be killed off.

The synopsis read: "After a sudden turn of events, the Conners are forced to face the daily struggles of life in Lanford in a way they never have before.

"This iconic family - Dan, Jackie, Darlene, Becky and D.J. - grapples with parenthood, dating, an unexpected pregnancy, financial pressures, ageing and in-laws in working-class America.

"Through it all, the fights, the coupon cutting, the hand-me-downs, the breakdowns - with love, humour and perseverance, the family prevails."

The company also insisted Roseanne will have no "financial or creative" involvement in the new series.

A statement from Roseanne and executive producer Tom Werner said: "Tom Werner and Roseanne Barr have reached an agreement that will allow Werner Entertainment to produce a spin-off of the Roseanne series for ABC without Barr's further creative or financial participation."