In a stunning victory for controversial comedian Roseanne Barr, a jury has ruled that ABC owes her $208 million for stealing her hit sitcom “The Conners.”
The verdict comes after a bitter legal battle between Barr and the network, which she says unfairly took her show and turned it into a liberal propaganda machine.
“The Conners” was a spinoff of “Roseanne,” the wildly popular sitcom that ran for nine seasons in the 80s and 90s. After a successful reboot in 2018, ABC canceled the show in the wake of a racist tweet from Barr.
The network then decided to continue the show without Barr, renaming it “The Conners” and focusing on the lives of the rest of the family.
Barr, who has a history of making controversial statements, sued ABC for breach of contract, claiming that the network had no right to continue the show without her.
She also accused the network of using the show to push a liberal agenda, saying that it was a blatant attempt to silence her conservative views.
The jury agreed, ruling that ABC had indeed breached its contract with Barr and that the network owed her $208 million in damages. In a statement, Barr thanked her fans for their support and slammed ABC for its “unfair and unethical” treatment of her.
“I always knew that I was in the right, and this verdict proves it,” she said. “ABC thought they could take my show and turn it into something it wasn’t, but the truth has come out. I hope this sends a message to other networks that they can’t just silence conservative voices.”
ABC, meanwhile, has vowed to appeal the decision, calling it “unjustified and absurd.” The network maintains that it had every right to continue the show without Barr and that it did not use it to push a political agenda.
The verdict is likely to have far-reaching implications for the entertainment industry, as networks and studios may now be more cautious about taking creative liberties with established properties.
It also serves as a reminder that the line between creative expression and corporate interests is a delicate one, and that the consequences of crossing it can be severe.
