Americans must find it in their hearts to forgive Roseanne Barr for the "inexcusable" Twitter comment that triggered ABC to yank her top-rated sitcom from the air, Rabbi Shimuley Boteach, a friend of the controversial comic for 20 years, told Newsmax TV on Tuesday.
"We are human; we fail; we make mistakes," Boteach told hosts Miranda Khan and John Cardillo on Tuesday's "America Talks Live." "The question is does America allow people to atone, and to be forgiven?
"Nobody wants to forgive her, and I think she's mystified by this."
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Last week, Barr proclaimed if the Muslim Brotherhood and the "Planet of the Apes" "had a baby," it would be Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser in the Obama White House who is African American.
Roseanne deleted the comment, which was decried as racist, and said she was sorry, adding she did not know Jarrett was black. Still, ABC quickly pulled the plug on the "Roseanne" reboot which was riding high in the ratings and had been renewed.
Boteach, author of "The Israel Warrior" and "Kosher Lust," said he had spoken with Barr and found her "extremely contrite."
"She had tremendous real emotion and real atonement," Boteach said. "She is a spiritual woman who is very dedicated to practicing Judaism. "She said, 'I take full responsibility.'"
Boteach said Barr had also attempted to personally reach out to Jarrett to ask for forgiveness.
He added what Barr tweeted is "inexcusable, but it doesn't mean it's unforgiveable."
"We've become an unrepentant society, nobody forgives anyone," Boteach said. ". . . There's got to be something a little more spiritual . . . I've known Rosanne for 20 years. I have never heard a scintilla of racism, bigotry, or prejudice emerge from her lips."
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