Just hours after ABC pulled the plug on the highly anticipated reboot of the hit sitcom Roseanne, Tom Arnold, Roseanne Barr's ex-husband, is sharing his perspective. The split-second decision came after Barr made a racially charged tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former top aide to President Barack Obama. Arnold, who was married to Barr from 1990 to 1994, opened up about her mental health and the circumstances surrounding the show's abrupt end.

Roseanne's Mental Health: Tom Arnold Opens Up

In a candid conversation with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Tom Arnold expressed his concerns about Roseanne's mental well-being. "It's obvious to me that she's dealing with some serious mental health issues," he said. "That doesn't excuse her behavior, but it's something we need to acknowledge." He went on to explain that mental illness was a part of their life together as a couple. "Back when we were first getting married, I struggled with substance abuse, and she stood by me. Later, it was her turn to face her own battles. It was something we tackled as a family," Arnold reflected.

“I could see it coming.” Tom Arnold, Roseanne Barr’s ex-husband and former writer on the sitcom “Roseanne,” says he was not surprised by the actress’ racist tweets that led to the cancellation of the ABC show. https://t.co/sJNuGnWfjk pic.twitter.com/RQexKgwaXu
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— CNN (@CNN) May 31, 2018

Roseanne's Own Thoughts on the Show's Demise

Arnold further elaborated in a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, suggesting that Roseanne may have been ready for the show to conclude. "This had to happen," he stated bluntly. "And honestly, I think she wanted it to happen. If you look at how her tweets escalated over the weekend, it was almost like she was setting the stage for this moment." He added, "If the cancellation hadn't occurred yesterday, this season would have been a nightmare for everyone involved. She would have felt like she was being taken advantage of, similar to how I felt when I decided to leave the show years ago."

Why Didn't Anyone Step In?

Arnold expressed surprise that the people around Roseanne didn't intervene when they saw the potential for disaster. "ABC lost an astronomical amount of money because of this incident. This show was a cash cow, and it all unraveled because no one had the foresight to take her phone away," he lamented. "She wouldn't have said these things on live TV. But give her a phone, and she's unpredictable—a loose cannon waiting to happen."

ABC made the decision to cancel Roseanne on May 29, 2018, following Barr's offensive tweet about Valerie Jarrett. Her tweet, comparing Jarrett to a child born from the Muslim Brotherhood and the Planet of the Apes, was quickly deleted but not before causing widespread outrage. ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey released a statement shortly after the cancellation: "Roseanne's tweet was abhorrent, repugnant, and completely at odds with our values. We had no choice but to cancel the show."

Roseanne and Tom.

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Following the cancellation, Roseanne took to Twitter to apologize to her fans. "Please don't feel sorry for me, folks," she wrote. "I just want to sincerely apologize to the hundreds of people, including the amazing writers (all liberals) and talented actors, who lost their jobs because of my thoughtless tweet. I did something truly unforgivable, and I don't want anyone defending me. It was 2 a.m., I was under the influence of Ambien, and it was Memorial Day. I crossed a line, and I fully own that. It was egregious and indefensible. I made a mistake, and I regret it deeply. But please, don't defend it. Let it stand on its own."