>>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYBODY.
GOOD MORNING.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.
I'M MEGYN KELLY.
ROSEANNE BARR CANNOT SEEM TO
STAY OFF TWITTER OR OUT OF THE
HEADLINES FOR THAT MATTER.
THIS MORNING, THERE IS A NEW
DEVELOPMENT.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, IT ALL BEGAN
WITH HER POSTING A RACIST TWEET
ABOUT FORMER OBAMA ADVISER
VALERIE JARRETT.
HOURS LATER, ABC CANCELLED THE
NUMBER ONE SHOW ON ABC.
MMENT ABOUT ANY TWITTER ATALIE
OR ANYTHING?
>> NO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK ABOUT
IT.
>> WHERE'D ALL THE REAL MEN GO?
>> HIDING FROM ALL THE REAL
WOMEN.
>> Reporter: IT COMES AS
ROSEANNE BARR'S REAL-LIFE DRAMA
NOW PLAYING OUT ON TWITTER.
I'M NOT A RACIST.
I NEVER WAS.
AND I NEVER WILL BE.
ONE STUPID JOKE AND A LIFETIME
OF FIGHTING FOR CIVIL RIGHTS FOR
ALL MINORITIES.
LATER ADDING, YOU GUYS MAKE ME
FEEL LIKE FIGHTING BACK.
PRESIDENT TRUMP WEIGHING IN,
REACTING TO THIS.
>> BOB IGER, THE CEO OF DISNEY,
CALLED ME BEFORE THE
ANNOUNCEMENT.
HE APOLOGIZED.
>> Reporter: THE PRESIDENT TOOK
TO TWITTER TO AIR GRIEVANCES
OVER HIS PERCEIVED ATTACKS FROM
ABC, POINTING OUT, IGER NEVER
CALLED HIM TO APOLOGIZE FOR THE
HORRIBLE STATEMENTS MADE AND
SAID ABOUT HIM ON ABC.
MAYBE I JUST DIDN'T GET THE
CALL.
THE WHITE HOUSE CLARIFYING, THE
PRESIDENT WAS SIMPLY CALLING OUT
MEDIA BIAS.
>> NO ONE IS DEFENDING WHAT SHE
SAID.
>> Reporter: BUT THERE ARE
OTHERS STANDING UP FOR THE
DISGRACED STAR.
COMEDIAN JIMMY KIMMEL, NO
STRANGER TO HIS OWN POLITICALLY
CHARGED PUBLIC BATTLES, CALLING
BARR'S WORDS INDEFENSIBLE BUT
ANGILY ATTACKING A WOMAN WHO IS
OBVIOUSLY NOT WELL DOES NO GOOD
FOR ANYONE.
TAKE A BREATH AND REMEMBER
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE REAL.
HIS MESSAGE RETWEETED BY BARR'S
ELSE TA
ESTRANGED EX-HUSBAND, TOM
ARNOLD.
>> I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO
HAPPEN.
I'M SORRY.
100%, IT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
LOOK AT ROSEANNE'S SOCIAL MEDIA
RIGHT IN THIS MOMENT.
SHE'S DOUBLED AND TRIPLED DOWN.
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO STOP IT RIGHT
NOW.
>> Reporter: BARR HAS SPOKEN
PUBLICLY ABOUT HER BATTLE WITH
BIPOLAR DISORDER AND MENTAL
ILLNESS, AND WROTE IN 2011 THAT
BEHIND THE SCENES DRAMA DURING
THE FIRST SEASON OF "ROSEANNE"
CAUSED HER FIRST NERVOUS
BREAKDOWN.
IN ONE NOW DELETED TWEET, BARR
SAID SHE WROTE ABOUT VALLEY
-- E
VALERIE JARRETT AFTER TAKING
AMBIEN.
THE MANUFACTURER OF THE DRUG
SAYING, RACISM IS NOT A KNOWN
SIDE EFFECT OF ANY OF THEIR
MEDICATIONS.
HOURS AFTER THE SHOW WAS
CANCELLED, BARR TWEETED
APOLOGIES TO THE CAST AND CREW.
ABC PRESIDENT APOLOGIZED TO THE
STAFF, PRAISING THEM IN AN
INTERNAL MEMO, WRITING THAT HE
HOPES TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO
WORK TOGETHER DOWN THE ROAD.
>> WOW.
I WISH YOU COULD HAVE HEARD THE
AUDIENCE REACT TO THE PIECE, AND
THE APPLAUSE FOR AMBIEN AND ITS
STATEMENT.
NATALIE MORALES IS WITH US NOW.
ANY WORD ON SPIN-OFFS?
IS THAT A POSSIBILITY?
>> Reporter: THERE IS TALK ABOUT
THAT THIS MORNING.
PEOPLE SAYING THAT PERHAPS IT
WOULD INCLUDE JOHN GOODMAN, SARA
GILBERT AND IT COULD BE IN LINE
FOR A SPIN-OFF.
OF COURSE, A SHOW WITHOUT
ROSEANNE, THOUGH THE SHOW IS
CALLED "ROSEANNE."
IT'D HAVE TO BE SOMETHING
COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BUT PERHAPS
USING THE SAME CAST MEMBERS IN A
DIFFERENT WAY.
MINDY KALING DID ALSO SAY SHE
WANTED TO WRITE FOR THEM.
WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT.
>> THERE WOULD BE AN AUDIENCE.
NO QUESTION.
NATALIE, THANK YOU.
>>> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
NEWS MAKING HEADLINES TODAY,
PLEASE WELCOME NBC'S CRAIG
MELVIN AND JACOB SOBOROFF.
THEY'RE BOTH HERE TOGETHER.
HI THERE.
HOW IS IT GOING?
>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> WELCOME.
>> HI.
>> ALL RIGHT.
LET'S JUST START WITH THAT.
DO YOU THINK THERE WOULD BE A
MARKET FOR A SPIN-OFF, GIVEN HOW
POPULAR IT WAS?
>> HAVE YOU SEEN THE TRASH ON
TV?
THIS SHOW NOTWITHSTANDING, OF
COURSE.
THERE WOULD BE A MARKET.
>> PEOPLE LOVE THE SHOW.
THE QUESTION IS, IS IT WORTH IT
FOR ABC TO BRING IT BACK.
>> OR SOMEONE ELSE.
I HAVE TO SAY, JOHN GOODMAN
DECLINING TO COMMENT, I
RESPECTED THAT.
TO ME, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE
AWKWARD TO WATCH SOME OF HER
FELLOW CAST MACASTMATES COME OUO
AFTER HER, THOUGH THE COMMENTS
ARE ABHORRENT, JUST BECAUSE SHE
MADE THEM.
THERE ARE SOME ACTORS ON THE
SHOW WHO YOU NEVER HEARD OF
BEFORE.
THEY DON'T NEED TO.
THEY DON'T NEED TO PROVE THEY'RE
NOT RACIST.
>> THEY FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW,
THEY WERE MINDING THEIR OWN
BUSINESS.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY GO ON
TWITTER LIKE, OH, HERE'S MY
PAYCHECK.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
>> MY LIVELIHOOD.
>> I WOULD HOPE THAT IF I SAID
SOMETHING TERRIBLY STUPID OR
HORRIBLY RACIST, GOD FORBID, ONE
OF MY COLLEAGUES WOULD CALL ME
OUT IMMEDIATELY.
I WOULD FACE THE CONSEQUENCES,
AS WELL.
>> I FEEL LIKE, WHY DID THEY
NEED TO PROVE ANYTHING ABOUT
THE
THEMSELVES PUBLICLY?
NO ONE IS SAYING THEY'RE RACIST
BECAUSE ROSEANNE TWEETED WHAT
SHE TWEETED.
JOHN GOODMAN AND SHE WORKED
TOGETHER FOR SO LONG.
WE AS THE AUDIENCE HAVE ADMIRED
THEIR RELATIONSHIP.
WE'VE BEEN LED TO BELIEVE
THEY'RE FRIENDS.
YOU JUST -- I DON'T KNOW.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT
SEEING -- THERE WOULD BE ABOUT
SEEING HIM STICK THE KNIFE IN
HER THAT WOULD MAKE ME FEEL
LIKE, OH, I DON'T KNOW.
JIMMY KIMMEL RAISING THE MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES MADE ME FEEL
EMPATHY.
>> JOHN GOODMAN, YOU KNOW, AS
SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS HER WELL --
JIMMY KIMMEL, RATHER, WHOEVER
KNOWS HER WELL, IS IN A POSITION
OF RESPONSIBILITY TO SPEAK OUT.
SAY WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HER.
SAY THAT IT WAS A TERRIBLE THING
TO SAY.
>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT HER MENTAL
HEALTH ISSUES ARE.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S
TRUE.
I'M NOT SURE HOW WELL JIMMY
KIMMEL KNOWS HER.
>> SOME YEARS AGO, I THINK 2011,
SHE WROTE THAT AFTER THE FIRST
SEASON OF THE ORIGINAL
"ROSEANNE," BECAUSE OF THE THE
O
-- OFF-CAMERA STUFF, SHE HAD A
NERVOUS BREAKDOWN.
>> THAT WAS 20 YEARS AGO.
THE TWITTER ACCOUNT WOULD
SUGGEST SHE'S HAVING
DIFFICULTIES.
HAVE TO POINT OUT, YOU KNOW,
PRESIDENT TRUMP IS UPSET ABOUT
THE DOUBLE STANDARD IN THE
MEDIA.
THIS ISN'T ABOUT HIM.
BUT YOU KNOW HOW HE MAKES
EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM.
SO DO HIS CRITICS.
I DO HAVE TO SAY, YESTERDAY, ON
TBS, SAMANTHA BEE WAS GOING
AFTER IVANKA TRUMP.
THE CRITICISM SHE MADE OF IVANKA
ON HER FATHER'S POLICIES WHEN IT
COMES TO SEPARATING CHILDREN
FROM THEIR UNDOCUMENTED PARENTS,
FINE.
TOTALLY FAIR GAME.
SHE CALLED IVANKA TRUMP A
FECKLESS "C" WORD.
TO ME, IT WAS SO JARRING.
IT WAS SO JARRING.
IT'S -- TO ME, HATE IS HATE.
I THINK SHE SHOULD BE CONDEMNED
FOR IT, TOO.
IT'S NOT A WORD POLICE.
HATE IS HATE IS HATE.
>> TALKED A ABOUT THE THAT
YESTERDAY.
>> JUST YESTERDAY, WE WERE
TALKING ABOUT HOW BILL MAHER
USES THE WORD ABOUT A WOMAN.
NO BETTER WHEN A WOMAN USES IT
ABOUT A WOMAN.
>> FAIR ENOUGH.
OF COURSE.
LOOK, SHE'S A COMEDIAN AND SAID
IT ON HER SHOW.
>> SO IS ROSEANNE.
YOU THINK IT IS BETTER TO SAY IT
ON TWITTER THAN ON YOUR SHOW?
ON YOUR SHOW SEEMS WORSE.
>> ROSEANNE WAS NOT IN THE FORUM
WHERE SHE WAS PRESENTING IT AS A
JOKE.
SHE GOES BACK AND SAID, I WAS
JOKING ABOUT IT.
>> SHE SAID SHE WAS JOKING.
I REALIZE IT DOESN'T FOUND LIKE
IT.
>> AFTER THE FACT THOUGH.
>> IS IT OKAY TO CALL A WOMAN A
"C" WORD IF YOU SAY IT IS A
JOKE?
>> NO.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO COMPARE
THE TWO.
AGAIN, ROSEANNE WENT OUT AND
SAID THIS, NOT IN THE CONTEXT OF
MAKING A JOKE.
SHE WENT OUT AND SAID IT IN THE
CONTEXT OF BEING AN OUTSPOKEN
PERSON ON TWITTER.
>> I THINK YOU'RE SPLITTING
HAIRS.
>> BEYOND THIS --
>> THEY'RE BOTH WRONG, PERIOD.
>> I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE NOT
BOTH WRONG.
>> I FEEL LIKE WE'VE CREATED
THIS CULTURE IN OUR COUNTRY
RIGHT NOW, WHERE NAME CALLING IN
GENERAL IS JUST -- YOU KNOW,
EVERYONE IS CALLING SOMEONE OUT.
WHETHER IT IS ON TWITTER, WE
HAVE CREATED THIS CULTURE OF --
>> HOW DO YOU RIP ON TRUMP FOR
HIS SEXIST COMMENTS WHICH, YOU
KNOW, SOMEBODY RAISED AT A
DEBATE A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND
THEN JUST LET IT SLIDE IN A --
LIKE TBS IS NORMAL TELEVISION.
SOMEONE MADE THE POINT IT WAS
HBO WITH BILL MAHER.
THIS IS TBS.
I FEEL LIKE TO ME, IT WAS
JARRING.
SAMANTHA BEE UNDERMINED HER
POSITION.
SHE COULD HAVE MADE A VALID
CRITICISM OF IVANKA, AND WE
WOULD HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT
THAT OPPOSED TO HER LANGUAGE.
>> IT IS FAIR.
IT IS A HORRIBLE WORD.
WHEN YOU CALL SOMEONE ELSE, I
DON'T KNOW IF YOU NEED TO GET
YOUR SHOW FIRED BUT YOU SHOULD
HEAR THE BACKLASH FROM MEGYN
KELLY.
>> WE'RE SO QUICK TO BOYCOTT
AND -- I MEAN, ROSEANNE'S
COMMENT WAS IN ITS SPECIAL
LEAGUE.
>> TALKING A ABOUT THE THE ONE
COMMEN
-- ABOUT THE ONE COMMENT.
BUT SHE HAS A LONG HISTORY.
>> MAYBE YESTERDAY'S TWEET BY
ROSEANNE WAS A 10, BUT SHE'S
BEEN AT THE 9 AND 9.5 RANGE A
LOT.
IT'S BEEN OKAY.
THIS RAISES A QUESTION OF WHO WE
WANT TO BE AS A SOCIETY.
>> YES.
>> I'M A FIRST AMENDMENT PERSON,
SO I DON'T LIKE CENSORSHIP OF
SPEECH.
THE ANSWER TO SPEECH YOU DON'T
LIKE IS NOT LESS SPEECH BUT MORE
SPEECH.
BUT TO ME, IT IS TELLING ABOUT
OUR SOCIETY, THAT THESE HAVEN'T
BEEN DEAL BREAKERS SO OFTEN.
WHY WEREN'T ROSEANNE'S PREVIOUS
TWEETS NOT A PROBLEM FOR ABC OR
OTHERS?
>> FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THEY
WERE A PROBLEM.
MANY TOOK ISSUE TO WHAT SHE
SAID.
IT WAS JUST TWO DAYS AGO, THAT
WAS THE PROVERBIAL STRAW THAT
BROKE THE CAMEL'S BACK FOR A
VARIETY OF REASONS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK HAS
UNFORTUNATELY STARTED TO HAPPEN
IS, YOU HAVE REAL OUTRAGE.
WHEN THINGS HAPPEN NOW, THERE IS
LEGITIMATE OUTRAGE, AND THEN YOU
HAVE THIS FAUX OUTRAGE.
THIS CONSTANT OUTRAGE MACHINE
THAT WE'RE ALL --
>> YOU WAKE UP SAYING, I'M
SORRY, I FORGOT TO BE OUTRAGED.
>> YEAH.
>> I'LL GET IT BACK.
>> THERE'S SO MUCH CONSTANTLY
COMING AT US.
EVERYONE IS SAYING CRAZY STUFF
ALL THE TIME.
>> I KNOW.
>> IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP.
>> IT IS DISHEARTENING.
TRYING TO RAISE THREE YOUNG KIDS
IN THIS >>> BACK NOW WITH NBC'S
MELVIN AND JACOBSOBOROFF.
MARY KAY LETOURNEAU -- SHE'D
DESCRIBE IT AS AN AFFAIR -- BUT
IT WAS A RAPE OF HER 12-YEAR-OLD
SIXTH GRADE STUDENT WHO SHE WAS
IMPREGNATED BY.
ULTIMATELY WHEN SHE WAS OUT OF
PRISON YEARS LATER, GOT MARRIED
TO.
>> YEAH.
>> NOWA&E HAS A DOCUMENTARY OF
THEM.
HERE IS A SOUND BITE.
>> HE WAS HER STUDENT IN THE
SIXTH GRADE.
>> NOT AS PORTRAYED IN THE
MEDIA.
WHEN ANYTHING DEVELOPED IN OUR
RELATIONSHIP, HE WAS ENTERING
THE EIGHTH GRADE.
>> WHEN THE BOY WAS 13, THE
RELATIONSHIP TURNED SEXUAL.
>> SOUNDS YOUNG.
I GET IT.
IT WAS YOUNG.
I GET IT.
>> AY-AY-AY.
>> MARY KAY, EARTH TO MARY KAY.
OVER HERE, SWEETHEART.
NO ONE CARES WHETHER IT WAS
SIXTH GRADE OR EIGHTH GRADE.
IT SHOWS YOU HER MINDSET.
THIS PERSON'S MINDSET, STILL.
>> I WAS 14 WHEN HE WAS 12.
I THOUGHT IT WAS CREEPY AS HELL
THEN, AND IT IS TWISTED STILL
TODAY.
>> YES.
>> WHY IS THERE A DOCUMENTARY?
>> BECAUSE WE'RE FASCINATED WITH
CRIME, WITH STORIES OF, YOU
KNOW -- LIKE THIS, OF HUMAN
IMMORALITY.
>> IT'S DISGUSTING.
I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW -- IT SEEMS
LIKE -- ARE WE CELEBRATING IT?
ARE WE USING IT AS A CAUTIONARY
TALE?
IS SHE PROFITING FROM THIS?
>> I DON'T KNOW.
>> I MEAN --
>> IT IS VOYEURISM.
ONE WONDERS WHETHER A&E WOULD BE
DOING THE SPECIAL IF IT WERE A
MAN WITH A 12 OR 13-YEAR-OLD
GIRL.
>> FAIR POINT.
>> BY THE WAY, THEY WERE
SEPARATED ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
NOW, IT IS UNCLEAR WHETHER THEY
WERE RECONCILED.
ANYWAY, THEY'VE HAD TWO
DAUGHTERS.
SHE'S 56.
HE'S 34.
HER DEFENSE IN THE DOCUMENTARY
IS, WAIT FOR IT, HE WAS NO
LONGER HER STUDENT WHEN THEY
BEGAN THIS RELATIONSHIP.
SHE HAS SAID ALL ALONG, AND SAYS
IN THE DOCUMENTARY, HE WAS THE
ONE WHO PURSUED ME.
CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS IS STILL
BEING SAID?
RIGHT?
I MEAN.
>> I DON'T THINK I'LL BE DVRING
THIS SPECIAL.
>> I HAVE TO ASK YOU GUYS, I
DON'T WANT TO SAY IT IS A
GROWING TREND IN AMERICA, BUT
MORE AND MORE MEN ARE CHOOSING
TO TAKE THEIR WWOOIF -- WIFE'S
LAST NAME.
94% OF WOMEN TAKE THE HUSBAND'S
NAME.
OVER 1/2 OF THE AMERICANS
SURVEYED THINK THEY BELIEVE IT
SHOULD BE MANDATORY FOR THE
WOMAN TO TAKE THE MAN'S LAST
NAME.
SHE SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO KEEP
HER OWN.
1/2 OF AMERICANS FEEL THAT WAY.
SOME MEN ARE SAYING, I LIKE MY
WIFE'S NAME BETTER, OR MINE WAS
COMMON AND HERS WAS UNIQUE, OR I
DON'T LIKE PATRIARCHY.
WOULD YOU EVER DO IT?
>> JACOB, WOULD YOU EVER DO IT?
>> MY WIFE DID NOT TAKE MY NAME,
BUT SOBOROFF IS A CLUNKY NAME.
MAYBE I WILL DO IT.
IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA.
>> MY WIFE TOOK MY NAME FOR
GOVERNMENT PURPOSES, BUT SHE
USES HER MAIDEN NAME
PROFESSIONALLY.
HER LAST NAME IS ZARDIAK.
THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS TAKING
THAT NAME.
>> ANYTHING WITH A "Z" IS COOL.
>> BUT IT STARTS WITH A "C."
>> THE "Z" IS SILENT.
>> I KEPT MY NAME.
>> THAT SURPRISES ME.
>> I WAS MARRIED ONCE BEFORE.
I TOOK MY FIRST HUSBAND'S NAME.
I GOT A DIVORCE.
I REALLY WANT TO GO BACK TO MY
MAIDEN NAME.
KELLY.
>> OKAY.
>> I REALLY WANTED THAT.
WHEN I MARRIED DOUG, I WAS LIKE,
YOU KNOW WHAT, I REGRETTED
CHANGING MY NAME THE FIRST TIME.
THIS IS MY NAME.
IT IS THE NAME I GREW UP WITH.
IT IS MY NAME.
I DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE IT.
WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO MY
HUSBAND AND MY CHILDREN, WHO
HAVE THE LAST NAME OF MY
HUSBAND, KELLY IS BETTER.