Daughter of 'Roseanne' star responds after controversial comment

HONOKAA, BIG ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) - Roseanne Barr's daughter is coming to her defense after yet another controversial remark riled up some residents in Hawaii.

On Thursday night Barr was at a comedy club explaining how a tweet that got her fired was political and not racist.

The tweet — which has since been deleted from Barr's Twitter account — read: "Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby = vj," referring to Valerie Jarrett, the black former adviser to Barack Obama.

In her explanation, Barr told the audience that she's been scared ever since due to public backlash.

"When you're called a racist and you live on an island full of brown people, it's kind of terrifying - I live in Hawaii," Barr said Thursday night.

The comment didn't sit well with several Big Island residents.

Barr has a home on the Big Island, and she also ran a coffee farm and hosted a community Halloween party for many years at the Kamuela Museum.

Barr's daughter, Jennifer Pentland, said her mother's sense of humor is being taken out of context. She said her mother is not a racist, she is just misunderstood.

"She loves her community. She loves this island, we all do. I've been here 10 years. I work full time at a little market in Honokaa. She supplies all the produce there, or a lot of the produce for that market. It's a labor of love. She's not getting anything back for it," Pentland said..

Pentland says that in the days since her mother's more recent comments, some people have even resorted to threats on social media.

"It's absolutely terrifying," said Pentland. "I saw what people who are my friends, people I'm friends with, were saying about my mom. Horrible things I don't even want to repeat. But a lot of them were like, 'take her fishing, leave her in the ocean, let her die."

Among Roseanne's defenders is Oscar winner Mo'Nique, who told a Los Angeles television station that the comedian stood up for her in Hollywood.

"For Roseanne Barr from Monique, I love you. I know you made a mistake, you messed up, but I won't throw you away., put you on the racist list say, 'Oh never again.' That is my sister," she said.

Copyright 2018 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.