Roseanne Barr net worth has sparked interest among her fans. The comedian and actress, best known for her role in the hit show Roseanne, has made a big impact in the entertainment world. Over the years, she has shared her unique humor and strong personality on screen.
Let’s take a look at her earnings, sources of income, and the path that has led to her net worth.
Roseanne Barr in Brief
Full Name | Roseanne Cherrie Barr |
Date of Birth | November 3, 1952 |
Place of Birth | Salt Lake City, Utah, USA |
Occupation | Actress, Comedian, Writer, Producer |
Height | 5 feet 3 inches (163 cm) |
Spouse | Johnny Argent (present) Ben Thomas (m. 1995–2002) Tom Arnold (m. 1990–1994) Bill Pentland (m. 1974–1990) |
Children | Brandi Brown, Jessica, Jennifer, Jake, and Buck Thomas |
Net Worth | $70 million |
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What is Roseanne Barr Net Worth?
Roseanne Barr is an American actress and comedian with an estimated net worth of $70 million, according to Marca. Roseanne Barr’s wealth mainly comes from her work as a comedian, actress, and writer.
She gained a lot of her wealth from her hit TV show “Roseanne,” where she played the main character and was also a producer. The show was very popular and brought in a lot of money, which contributed to her net worth.
Besides that, she has made money from stand-up comedy, writing books, and appearing on other TV shows and in movies. All these activities have helped build her financial success.
Roseanne Barr’s Early Life
Roseanne Barr was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a Jewish family. She is the oldest of four kids. Her mom, Helen, worked as a bookkeeper, and her dad, Jerry, was a salesman. Her dad’s family came from Russia, and her mom’s family came from Austria-Hungary and Lithuania. Her grandpa changed their family name to “Barr” when they came to the U.S. Sadly, her great-grandparents were killed in the Holocaust.
Roseanne grew up with a strong Jewish influence from her grandma, who was very religious. Her parents kept their Jewish background private and also took part in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Roseanne mentioned, “Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning I was a Jew; Sunday afternoon, Tuesday afternoon, and Wednesday afternoon we were Mormons.”
When Roseanne was three, she got Bell’s palsy, which affected her face. Her mom tried both Jewish and Mormon prayers for help. She later found out Bell’s palsy often heals on its own, and the Mormon prayer came at just the right time.
Roseanne Barr has said she is on the autism spectrum. At six, she began speaking at LDS churches in Utah and was president of a Mormon youth group.
She went to East High School but was hit by a car at age 16, which caused a serious brain injury. This led to her being in a hospital for eight months.
At 18, Roseanne left home, telling her parents she was visiting a friend in Colorado, and never came back. The next year, she had a baby and put her up for adoption. They reunited 17 years later.
Roseanne Barr’s Career
Stand-up comedian
Roseanne Barr started performing comedy in clubs across Colorado, then moved to Los Angeles to perform at The Comedy Store. She appeared on The Tonight Show in 1985 and was featured on Rodney Dangerfield’s comedy special in 1986. That same year, her HBO special, The Roseanne Barr Show, earned her a major comedy award.
Her comedy focused on life as a homemaker, where she coined the term “domestic goddess.” This work led to her hit TV show, Roseanne.
Rise of the Roseanne Show
Barr starred as Roseanne Conner in the sitcom Roseanne, which premiered in 1988. The show was based on her life and became a massive hit with over 21 million viewers for its debut. She won several awards, including an Emmy and Golden Globe, for portraying a strong, working-class mom.
She earned $40 million in the show’s later seasons, becoming one of the highest-paid women in show business. She also wrote two books, Roseanne—My Life As a Woman and My Lives. Her acting credits include movies like She-Devil and Home on the Range, and she hosted The Roseanne Show from 1998 to 2000.
Controversy
Roseanne Barr often stirred controversy, including her off-key rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1990. Critics slammed her for adding humor to the anthem, including a spit and crotch grab, but she explained it was meant to be funny.
She also acted in Look Who’s Talking Too and Saturday Night Live. In 1994, she became the first solo female host of the MTV Video Music Awards.
Return to Stand-Up and Reality TV
In 2005, Roseanne Barr returned to stand-up, performing worldwide, including Europe. She starred in Roseanne Barr: Blonde N Bitchin’ on HBO and made guest appearances on shows like My Name Is Earl.
She also hosted The Search for the Funniest Mom in America and had her radio show, The Roseanne and Johnny Show, with partner Johnny Argent.
In 2011, Barr starred in Roseanne’s Nuts, a reality show about her life on a Hawaii farm. She also worked on a new sitcom, but it wasn’t picked up. In 2014, she judged Last Comic Standing.
Her 2018 revival of Roseanne brought back the original cast and scored high ratings. However, the show was canceled after a controversial tweet, leading to a spin-off, The Conners, without her involvement.
In 2023, Barr released a comedy special, Cancel This!, on Fox Nation. She also voiced a character in the upcoming animated series Mr. Birchum, set to debut in 2024.
Roseanne Barr’s Personal Life
Family and Relationships
Roseanne Barr has five children. At 17, she had a daughter, Brandi Ann Brown, who was placed for adoption but reunited later. She married Bill Pentland in 1974, and they had three kids: Jessica, Jennifer, and Jake. They divorced in 1990.
Four days after her divorce, Barr married comedian Tom Arnold. They met in Minneapolis, where he opened for her comedy act. She later brought him onto her TV show, Roseanne, as a writer. They divorced in 1994 after unsuccessful attempts to have children.
In 1995, Barr married Ben Thomas, her security guard, and they had a son named Buck through in vitro fertilization. They divorced in 2002.
In 2003, Barr began dating Johnny Argent, whom she met online. They live on a macadamia nut farm in Hawaii.
Family Conflicts
Barr’s brother Ben is gay, and her sister Geraldine is a lesbian. Their stories inspired her to include LGBTQ+ characters on Roseanne.
Geraldine was Barr’s manager early in her career but was fired after clashing with Tom Arnold. Geraldine sued Barr for $70.3 million over claims related to her role in developing Barr’s comedy persona but lost due to expired legal deadlines.
In 1991, Barr accused her parents of abuse, which they denied and supported with polygraph tests. Later, Barr clarified she might have exaggerated due to her mental health struggles. After years of estrangement, Barr and Geraldine reconciled in 2011 during an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Health Challenges
In the 1990s, Barr had cosmetic surgeries, including a tummy tuck and a nose job. She also underwent gastric bypass surgery. She revealed she had dissociative identity disorder due to childhood trauma but said the therapy helped her integrate her personality by 2001.
In 2015, Barr announced she was losing her vision due to macular degeneration and glaucoma, treated with medical marijuana. Later, she found out her vision issues were caused by a mole behind her eye, which could be fixed with surgery.
In 2018, rumors spread about a heart attack, but Barr clarified on social media that she was fine.
Roseanne Barr’s Controversies
Controversial Photoshoot as Hitler
In 2009, Roseanne Barr posed as Adolf Hitler for a satirical magazine, Heeb. She wore a Hitler mustache, and a swastika armband, and held burnt gingerbread cookies called “burnt Jew cookies.” Barr, who is Jewish, said the photos mocked Hitler, not his victims. Critics like Bill O’Reilly and Mario Lopez found the shoot offensive. The controversy resurfaced in 2018 when her show was revived.
Zimmerman and Parkland Shooting
In 2012, Barr tweeted the home address of George Zimmerman’s parents, leading them to sue her in 2014. They claimed she wanted to cause harm to their family. The court ruled in her favor in 2015.
In 2018, she tweeted a false conspiracy theory about David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland shooting, suggesting he made a Nazi salute. Barr later deleted the tweet.
Valerie Jarrett Tweet and Show Cancellation
In 2018, Barr tweeted about Valerie Jarrett, comparing her to “Planet of the Apes” and the Muslim Brotherhood. Critics labeled the tweet racist. She apologized but claimed she thought Jarrett was white. She also blamed the incident on Ambien, but the drug maker denied racism was a side effect.
ABC quickly canceled Roseanne, calling her remark “repugnant.” Reruns were removed, and the show was rebranded as The Conners, without Barr.
False Claims About George Soros
Barr claimed George Soros, a Holocaust survivor, helped Nazis. She misquoted an interview with Soros and later apologized. Critics, including Chelsea Clinton, pointed out the falsehood.
Theo Von Podcast Controversy
In 2023, Barr appeared on This Past Weekend with Theo Von. She sarcastically joked about Holocaust denial, saying six million Jews should die. The comment was edited out of context online, sparking backlash. Barr clarified her sarcasm and stated she lost family members in the Holocaust. The podcast episode was removed from YouTube.
Roseanne Barr’s Real Estate
In 1993, Barr and Arnold started building a huge 28,000-square-foot mansion in Iowa. But after they divorced in 1994, the construction stopped, and the house fell apart over the years. In 2018, when “Roseanne” was rebooted, it was announced that Barr and Arnold gave the 1,338-acre land to the Indian Hills Community College Foundation. The foundation sold it to MJW Hawkeye LLC. The new owner said the mansion was too costly to tear down.
In 2000, Barr bought a 10,000-square-foot house in California for $6.5 million and sold it for $8.2 million in 2003.
In 2003, she bought a house in El Segundo, California, for $1.17 million and later tried to sell it for $3.5 million in 2020. She also bought another house across the street in 2005. That same year, she purchased a home in Playa Del Rey for $1.5 million and another Playa Del Rey house two years later for about $2 million.
In 2007, Barr bought a 2,212-square-foot ranch and 46-acre land on the Big Island of Hawaii for $1.78 million. She moved there from Los Angeles in 2010. Her property, named Hidden Hamakua Farm, has 2,000 macadamia nut trees, an organic garden, and a beehive.