Roseanne Barr isn’t pulling punches when it comes to ABC’s decision to reinstate Jimmy Kimmel after his suspension. In a new interview, Barr blasted the network for what she calls a glaring “double standard,” comparing her own cancellation to Kimmel’s slap-on-the-wrist treatment.
This latest twist adds even more fuel to the ongoing controversy swirling around Disney, ABC, and its affiliates.
Roseanne’s Blistering Take
Speaking with NewsNation, Barr made it clear she feels betrayed and erased while Kimmel returns to the airwaves.
“I got my whole life ruined, no forgiveness and all of my work stolen and called a racist for time and eternity, for racially misgendering someone,” Barr said. “It just shows how they think. It’s a double standard.”
Roseanne Barr laughs at the Comedy Central Roast of Roseanne – YouTube, Comedy Central UK
She also mocked the idea that Kimmel’s fanbase will celebrate his return.
“I think he’ll cheer himself on and his fans, all what is it, 2,000 of them?” she said. “They’ll feel heartened and, you know, like they won another battle against Trump and the people of the United States. So it’ll be a big celebration. ‘Oh, he’s back,’ and he’ll double down.”
And in perhaps the most poignant part of her comments, Barr lamented how her legacy as a trailblazer for female comedians has been rewritten.
“I’ve been erased from history, from the history of feminism, which that cracks me up,” she said. “I’m never mentioned in anything about women who are pioneers in media. I’m never mentioned in anything anymore.”
These are not the words of someone who has simply “moved on.” Barr remains adamant that she was unfairly targeted, and she believes the Kimmel saga proves her point.
What Happened to Roseanne?
Back in 2018, Barr lost everything when ABC pulled the plug on her rebooted sitcom Roseanne. The reason? A tweet about Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett that critics labeled racist. Barr alleges that she was not aware of Jarrett’s race at the time of her comment.
Roseanne Barr on her Podcast – YouTube, Roseanne Barr
The backlash was instant and total. Advertisers fled. Disney CEO Bob Iger and ABC leadership canceled one of the highest-rated shows on television. A spinoff, The Conners, carried on without her, and Barr has been sidelined from Hollywood ever since.
She has previously alleged that President Obama personally called Bob Iger to demand her firing — a claim she has repeated over the years as evidence of political interference.
What Happened to Kimmel?
Fast-forward to 2025. Jimmy Kimmel went on air and falsely claimed that the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk was a Trump supporter. Law enforcement evidence at the time showed the opposite — bullet casings with “anti-fascist” messaging, a partner who identifies as female despite being biologically male, and ideological writings pointing away from conservatism.
In other words, Kimmel was spreading outright misinformation in front of millions of viewers.
Jimmy Kimmel crying in his return monologue on ABC – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live
ABC responded by suspending Jimmy Kimmel Live! for less than a week. When the show returned, Kimmel made no direct apology. Instead, he cried, attacked President Trump and the FCC, and pivoted the conversation back to himself.
And while Disney’s corporate offices restored him quickly, many affiliates weren’t buying it. Nexstar and Sinclair stations continue to keep Kimmel off the air, refusing to give him a platform without assurances of constructive dialogue.
The Double Standard
Here’s the real kicker. Roseanne Barr made a single offensive post on Twitter. It ended her show, erased her career, and branded her as a pariah for life. Jimmy Kimmel went on national television, spread falsehoods about a political murder, and politicized a tragedy. His consequence? A five-day suspension and a hero’s welcome from Hollywood peers.
Jimmy Kimmel shakes hands with Joe Biden – YouTube, Jimmy Kimmel Live!
What Barr said was crude. What Kimmel did was infinitely worse. Yet she was obliterated while he remains in ABC’s good graces.
This is, as she said, the very definition of a double standard.
The Bottom Line
Roseanne Barr sees hypocrisy, and she’s not alone. ABC and Disney claim to enforce standards, but when one of their chosen stars violates those standards, the punishment looks more like a vacation than accountability. Affiliates themselves are drawing a harder line than the network.
It raises the obvious question: who really runs television? The networks in New York and Los Angeles, or the affiliates in local markets who still answer to the viewers?
Roseanne Barr being interviewed – YouTube, The Sage Steele Show
For Barr, the answer is already clear — and she’s making sure the world knows it.
How do you feel about the treatment of Roseanne vs the treatment of Jimmy Kimmel? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
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And let’s not forget about Gina Carano, who posted an opinion that wasn’t even offensive, and was immediately fired by Disney.
Kimmel is a walking, talking example of the left’s hypocrisy. He can say whatever he wants, because he has the correct politics. He lies about a political assassination, and then days later, he’s back on the air, ready to do it again.
No one should ever take liberals seriously ever again. They’ve shown time and time again exactly what kind of people they are.
No you haven’t.
Your take on the Star Spangled Banner is still available, on view somewhere.
I apologize for all, ALL my kimmy jimmel comments. Yet I see myself as a white blood cell doing my damnest to expel an unwanted foreign body from the system. kimmy is a massive malignant tumor to me.
She’s too BIG to be erased from history. heh heh