“Roseanne Barr SLAMS ABC Over Jimmy Kimmel’s Return: ‘It’s a Double Standard’ as She Says Her Career Was ‘Ruined’”
Roseanne Barr is speaking out — again — and she isn’t holding back. In a recent interview with NewsNation, the comedian argued that the way ABC has treated Jimmy Kimmel following his recent suspension starkly contrasts with how she was handled when her own controversy erupted in 2018. And to Barr, that difference is a glaring example of what she calls a “double standard.”
Back in May 2018, Roseanne Barr’s sitcom Roseanne was abruptly canceled by ABC after she tweeted a racist message about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett — likening Jarrett to the “Muslim Brotherhood & planet of the apes.” Despite issuing a public apology, Barr says she was left to bear the full fallout alone: “I got my whole life ruined … no forgiveness, and all of my work stolen,” she said.
Fast-forward to September 2025: Jimmy Kimmel received a much shorter suspension from ABC for his controversial monologue about the MAGA response to Charlie Kirk’s death. His show is being reinstated after about five or six days. To Barr, this is in stark contrast to her own experience. “It just shows how they think. It’s a double standard,” she said.
Barr didn’t hold back in assessing the damage she feels her career has suffered. She said she has been “erased from history … from the history of feminism” and that she is rarely, if ever, mentioned anymore when discussions are held about women pioneers in media.
She also accused Kimmel of hypocrisy, noting that he previously called her a racist during the fallout from her tweets, despite his own past controversies (including blackface performances). Barr implied that if he had defended her back then, things might look different now.
Supporters of Barr believe her critique spotlights legitimate concerns about how “cancel culture” and media accountability are unevenly enforced depending on the individual, their political leanings, or the perceived cultural power they hold. Critics, however, argue that each case involves unique factors, including public reaction, network policy, timing, and severity of statements, making direct comparisons imperfect.
What’s clear is that Barr’s comments are adding fuel to ongoing debates over fairness in how public figures are disciplined, forgiven, or reintegrated into the spotlight. For her, the contrast between her fate and Kimmel’s sends a strong message about whose mistakes are redeemable — and whose aren’t.
