Tim Allen Addresses Roseanne Barr Controversy: ‘That’s Not the Roseanne That I Know’
In the wake of Roseanne‘s cancellation by ABC — following Roseanne Barr’s racist tweet — various celebrities have come out to either speak against or for the show’s former star.
During the Television Critics Association summer press tour, Last Man Standing actor and fellow Trump supporter Tim Allen spoke out about the controversy.
“I go way back with Rosie, and that’s not the Roseanne that I know,” Allen told The Hollywood Reporter in response to the backlash around the star.
“She was the most diverse and tolerant woman I’ve ever known for a long time. So, whatever got in her head isn’t the Roseanne that I know,” he continued. As for ABC’s decision to cancel their hit show due on Barr’s actions, Allen added, “They had to do what they had to do and that’s their decision. I know Barr, and she’s not that person.”
Allen also took the opportunity to comment on the state of comedy saying, “There’s things you can’t say, there’s things you shouldn’t say. Who makes up these rules? As a stand-up comic, it’s a very dangerous position for me to be in because I like pushing buttons. It’s very sensitive. I don’t know what Roseanne [meant] … but that’s not the woman I know. Whatever came out of that, whatever she said by that, she is inclusive and tolerant. It’s unfortunate.”
During their TCA presentation, Fox addressed Allen’s Last Man Standing character Mike Baxter’s conservative views. The network stated that there would likely be no mention of Donald Trump in the series.
The revived series, which previously aired on ABC, will make its Fox debut this fall for Season 7, as will ABC’s Roseanne spinoff The Conners, which will include all of the original cast sans Barr.
Last Man Standing, Season 7 Premiere, Friday, September 28, 8/7c, Fox
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