Emma Kenney, the 18-year-old actress who plays the daughter of Sara Gilbert’s character, “Darlene,” on the reboot of Roseanne, says she was offended by star Roseanne Barr’s racist tweets.
I am hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed. The racist and distasteful comments from Roseanne are inexcusable.
— Emma Kenney (@EmmaRoseKenney) May 29, 2018
She explains that she was so upset, she ultimately decided to quit the show. However, when she called her representative to share her decision, she got a surprise.
As I called my manager to quit working on Roseanne, I was told it was cancelled. I feel so empowered by @iamwandasykes , Channing Dungey and anyone at ABC standing up for morals and abuse of power. Bullies will NEVER win.
— Emma Kenney (@EmmaRoseKenney) May 29, 2018
Kenney, who started her career at age 12 with a recurring role on the Showtime series Shameless, is one of several members of the Roseanne cast who spoke out about Barr’s racist attack on a former staffer under President Obama.
Wanda Sykes, the African American comedienne who served as a “consulting producer” on the show, quit even before it was canceled, and Sara Gilbert, a member of the panel on CBS’s The Talk, who is also a producer of the Roseanne reboot, spoke out about Barr’s ugly comments.
This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as we’ve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love— one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.
— sara gilbert (@THEsaragilbert) May 29, 2018
On the new Roseanne, Kenney plays the part of Harris Conner-Healy, whose mother brings her into the Connor household, run by her grandmother, played by Barr.
In April, when Kenney was asked during an appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America how she feels about Barr, she had only praise, calling her “cool.”
“She’s such a maternal kind person,” Kenney said in April. “And we have the same taste in cheese. It’s brie cheese.”
Apparently sharing a love of Brie was not enough to keep Kenney on the show after the star’s tweet brought a wave of controversy and anger.