Roseanne Barr calls Natalie Portman 'repulsive' for pulling out of Israel ceremony

She called the Black Swan star 'a complete hypocrite who grew up in safety and privilege'

Jacob Stolworthy
Saturday 19 January 2019 10:06 GMT
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Roseanne Barr breaks down in first interview since being fired: 'I have lost everything'

Roseanne Barr has said she finds Natalie Portman “repulsive” in a brand new interview.

The actor, whose sitcom Roseanne was cancelled following a racist tweet in 2018, criticised the Oscar-winning star for declining to participate in a prestigious ceremony as she “didn’t want to be seen endorsing” the prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, who was due to attend.

Her decision saw the Black Swan star criticised by the Israeli government.

Speaking to daily newspaper Israel Hayom, Barr said: “It was really sickening, I find her repulsive. She was raised in incredible privilege of safety in the Jewish state and knows nothing about anti-Semitism.”

Portman, who was born in Jerusalem, moved to the United States with her parents when she was three.

Barr added: “She’s the darling of the left here, the Jewish left in Hollywood, she is a complete hypocrite who grew up in safety and privilege, like I said before, and knows nothing about what she speaks of.”

The actor also waded in on the debacle that saw Kevin Hart step down as Oscars host after homophobic tweets he posted in 2009-11 resurfaced online.

“Largely they’re digging up things that people did 15 and 20 years ago, and Kevin Hart, his statements were really old and people grow up and change, and he did say he was sorry over and over,“ she said.

Referring to her former Roseanne co-star John Goodman, who now fronts spin-off show The Conners, Barr said he “should’ve fought harder” for her following her firing from ABC.

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