ROSEANNE BARR UNDER FIRE

Actress and comedienne Roseanne Barr has come under fire for criticising American singer Marie Osmond whose son – rumoured to be gay – recently committed suicide.

Writing on her blog, Barr also slammed the Mormon Church amid unsubstantiated claims that eighteen year old Michael Blosil committed suicide because of his sexuality.

The Osmond family’s members are known to be devoted Mormons, a Church that has been criticised for its stance towards gays and lesbians.

“Marie Osmond’s poor gay son killed himself because he had been told how wrong and how sick he was every day of his life by his church and the people in it. Calling that ‘depression’ is a lie!” wrote Barr.

She went on to add: “Marie please don’t talk about how your faith in your church has helped you get through this one! Please get some integrity and tell that church of yours that you will leave it and stop giving it ten percent of your money if they don’t stop trying to destroy your kids’ and all gay people’s civil rights and dreams and hopes!!”

Now Barr has apologised for some of her comments following criticism that she had never met Blosil nor knew the facts about the suicide.

Writing again on her blog, under the title, “I am very sorry that I said anything about Marie Osmond’s son,” Barr said her statements were based on “the front page of a tabloid …and I wrote about how angry that made me, after seeing it hundreds of times, growing up as I did in Utah”.

She added, “I never intended for my comments to be picked up and broadcast on sleazy gossip TV shows, or on other blogs. That was done without my consent or knowledge.”

Blosil, who was one of five children adopted by Osmond, jumped out of the eighth floor of his Los Angeles apartment building on February 26. He is said to have suffered from depression throughout his life.