Tim Allen on Roseanne Controversy: ‘Who Makes Up These Rules?’

Comedian and actor Tim Allen has broken his silence on Roseanne Barr’s show, speaking at the Television Critics Association’s press tour on Thursday.

“I go way back with Rosie and that’s not the Rosie I know,” Allen said. “She was the most diverse and tolerant woman I’ve ever known for a long time. Whatever got in her head isn’t the Roseanne I know. It’s a very icy time. I’ve been a comedian for 38 years and I’ve never seen it, like Lenny Bruce said at the Purple Onion, ‘We’ve gone backwards.’ There are things you can’t say. There are things you shouldn’t say. Who makes up these rules? And as a stand-up comic, it’s a dangerous position to be in because I like pushing buttons. It’s unfortunate.”

“They had to do what they had to do and it’s their decision,” Allen added.

Allen also has a conservative ABC show called Last Man Standing, where Allen plays the role of Mike Baxter, a patriotic father. On Thursday, Allen participated in a panel with Last Man Standing showrunner Kevin Abbot who was promoting Fox’s revival of the former ABC sitcom.

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Allen wasn’t the only star that came to Barr’s defense. Comedian and actress Mo’Nique, 50, showed her support for Roseanne on KTLA Friday, July 27th.

“Roseanne Barr is my sister in comedy and she is my universal sister and what I won’t do … is throw her away for making a mistake,” Mo’Nique told KTLA. “We’ve all said and done things, baby, that we wish we could take back … but when you’re in the public eye, you can’t.”

When Last Man Standing was pulled from the alphabet network, ABC, it came as a shock to many considering that it had aired for six seasons and had an enormous fan base with very high ratings. The 65-year-old actor and comedian took a moment to share his thoughts about their decision to ultimately scrap Last Man Standing.

“I’ve worked for ABC for years… I don’t really believe it was a political decision,” Allen said. “I think it was a financial decision… I thought it was done very poorly, that’s my point of view. I was heartbroken.”

In May, Fox made the decision to pick up Last Man Standing. Season 7 starring Tim Allen will officially premier on September 28, 2018.