‘I Thought The B— Was White’: Roseanne Defends Valerie Jarrett Slur In Video

Roseanne Barr Image by Getty Images
Roseanne Barr released a video on her personal YouTube page on Thursday night that shows her confused, semi-incoherent, and screaming charged racial comments.
Still, there’s something chilling about the video — Barr is disoriented, but the people behind the camera seem to know exactly what they’re doing.
The profanity-laced video begins with a person off-camera urging Barr to imagine that she is giving a presidential address after being “busted with killing a hooker.” As the director gives instructions, Barr begins to scream about Valerie Jarrett. “I THOUGHT THE B*H WAS WHITE. GODDAMMIT. I THOUGHT THE BITCH WAS WHITE. FK.”
This video is a radical departure from Barr’s earlier responses to her notorious Jarrett tweet, which compared the political advisor to an “ape.” And while the bizzaro racial comments and screaming of profanity does draw one’s attention, don’t sleep on the fact that the highly calculated minute-long video begins with a casual joke about murdering sex workers, a group of people who experience high levels of violence which researchers find is made worse by stigma against sex work.
Jenny Singer is the deputy lifestyle editor for the Forward. You can reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @jeanvaljenny
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
