logo
HomeCelebrity
Getty Images
Getty Images

Roseanne Barr Gave One Kid Up for Adoption & Sent Another to a Survival Camp — Meet Her 5 Children

Titi Dokubo
May 03, 2022
08:00 A.M.

Actress, producer, and comedian Roseanne Barr was in her thirties when she became a television personality as the main character of the series "Roseanne." However, they canceled the show after ten seasons due to her racist tweet.

Advertisement

Even though her character had three children in the series, in reality, the actress has five children and was married three times. Years after she disappeared from the show, she has a different lifestyle that includes being a grandma.

The accomplished showbiz star and one-time presidential candidate gave up one of her children for adoption. Here are all the details about all five of Roseanne Barr's kids and their lives.

Roseanne Barr on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on April 31, 2018 | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne Barr on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" on April 31, 2018 | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne Barr was born in Salt Lake City in 1952. She is the daughter of Jerry Barr, a salesman and factory worker, and housewife Helen Davis Barr.

Her maternal grandmother, Bobbe Mary, relocated to the United States from Lithuania before World War I, leaving behind eight siblings who died in the Holocaust.

Advertisement
Roseanne Barr and her mother Helen at the Los Angeles Premiere of "Capitalism: A Love Story" on September 15, 2009 | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne Barr and her mother Helen at the Los Angeles Premiere of "Capitalism: A Love Story" on September 15, 2009 | Source: Getty Images

Bobbe was an aspiring musical performer who followed her music teacher to Salt Lake City from Kansas before marrying Benjamin Barr, an Austria-Hungarian immigrant.

Bobbe helped her husband in his butcher shop and helped expand his business, and when they bought a house, she never left even after becoming widowed.

Roseanne Barr and John Goodman at the premiere of "Roseanne" on March 23, 2018 | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne Barr and John Goodman at the premiere of "Roseanne" on March 23, 2018 | Source: Getty Images

Advertisement

Roseanne grew up adoring her industrious grandmother, whom she saw as a 'woman of independent means.' Bobbe was a strong, assertive, and positive role model for Roseanne.

Bobbe, who loved the Yiddish theater, encouraged the young Roseanne to perform in front of the mirror, singing into a pretend microphone.

Advertisement

Eventually, Roseanne saw her grandmother as a beacon of honesty and courage. She said:

"I loved my grandmother more than any other human being because she never lied, never told you what you wanted to hear, never compromised."

Besides their shared love for food, her grandmother's actions when she stood up for Roseanne's brother after their father hit him taught Roseanne the most in her life.

Roseanne Barr and John Goodman on the set of the revival of "Roseanne" | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne Barr and John Goodman on the set of the revival of "Roseanne" | Source: Getty Images

ROSEANNE BARR'S SECRET DAUGHTER

At 18, Roseanne became pregnant out of wedlock, and after nine days, she put her up for adoption but left clues for her daughter to find her when she turned 21. Before her daughter found Roseanne, the press found her, and Roseanne said:

Advertisement

"I was stunned. They had gotten hold of the birth certificate of the baby girl I bore out of wedlock."

The press had harassed her daughter and even took photographs of her looking startled. Roseanne revealed that the tabloids were cruel as they tried to blackmail Roseanne into telling the story after obtaining her daughter's birth certificate.

Advertisement

Roseanne eventually talked about her daughter, Brandi, on her talk show in 1999 and spilled the beans when she sat down for an interview.

In 2003, when Brandi got married, Roseanne met Brandi's adoptive mother's family for the first time. However, Brandi's adoptive parents divorced when she was younger.

Jake Pentland, Roseanne Barr, and Brandi Brown at the world premiere of documentary: "Roseanne For President!" on April 18, 2015 | Source: Getty Images

Jake Pentland, Roseanne Barr, and Brandi Brown at the world premiere of documentary: "Roseanne For President!" on April 18, 2015 | Source: Getty Images

ROSEANNE BARR'S OTHER CHILDREN

Roseanne married for the first time at 22 to Bill Pentland, and they had three kids, Jessica, Jennifer, and Jake. They divorced in 1990, and that same year, she married Tom Arnold.

Her marriage to Arnold lasted for only four years. In 1995, she married Ben Thomas but split in 2002 after seven years and one son, Buck.

Advertisement

Born in 1975, Jessica Pentland is a writer and producer known for "Roseanne," "Black Girls Heart Charlie," and "Childhood Thoughts."

Advertisement

When Jessica married, Roseanne revealed that they had a significant Greek shower and a Vegas wedding. However, she never wanted Jessica to have children because she felt Jessica would not be able to handle the responsibility.

In 1976, Roseanne welcomed her third child, Jennifer Pentland. As an adult, Jennifer revealed that she struggled with PTSD because of her parents' "tough love" approach when she was growing up.

Before she turned 18, she had already been sent out to a few outdoor survival programs and had to live in the wilderness, where she ate animals and hiked endlessly.

Advertisement

Jennifer knew that her mother was only trying to do what was best for her. She also felt that her parents had too many professional people around them who did not have their interests at heart.

Advertisement

Jennifer revealed that her mother sent her and her siblings to fat camp when she turned ten. While Jake was only seven and not considered overweight, Jessica was happy to go and experience a total transformation.

Advertisement

However, Jennifer agreed to go because she wanted to be as cool as her big sister. She said:

"If I at least had Jessica there, it would be okay. I arrived anxious and not knowing what to expect, looked around and ... exhaled."

Roseanne Barr [third from the right], Brandi Ann Brown [from left], Jake Pentland, Jenny Pentland, Jessica Pentland, and Ben Thomas at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne Barr [third from the right], Brandi Ann Brown [from left], Jake Pentland, Jenny Pentland, Jessica Pentland, and Ben Thomas at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne later revealed that Jennifer was too brilliant for her. Jennifer blackmailed her babysitter into taking her to Del Taco after school as a child. However, Roseanne is proud that Jennifer became a wonderful mother.

In 1978, Roseanne welcomed her first son Jake Pentland. Even though she said he was an entertaining and hilarious child, Jake became a writer and director and is known for "Rockin' with Roseanne," "The Tipping Point," and "Why I'm Not on Facebook."

Advertisement
Roseanne Barr and Ben Thomas at the Planet Hollywood Grand Opening on March 25, 1995 | Source: Getty Images

Roseanne Barr and Ben Thomas at the Planet Hollywood Grand Opening on March 25, 1995 | Source: Getty Images

In 1995, Roseanne welcomed her youngest son, Buck Thomas, through IVF, and he lives out of the spotlight. When Buck grew older, he could not believe his mother was ever married to Arnold.

He constantly teased her about it, but Roseanne adored her son. Even when he was a baby, she was protective of him and would not let reporters take pictures of him because it made her uncomfortable.

Advertisement

ROSEANNE BARR'S LIFE NOW

After two decades, "Roseanne" returned to TV and gained a massive following. Just as she became a star and was at the center of attention again, Roseanne put out a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama.

After Roseanne's tweet, the network abruptly canceled the show despite having one of its highest ratings, and even after she apologized, her apology was too late.

Advertisement

Barely three years after they canceled her show's reboot, she sold her four-bedroom, four-bathroom California home and fully moved to Hawaii, where she owned a 46-acre farm on the island of Honokaa.

On the farm, she has a three-bedroom and three-and-a-half-bathroom property, which was formerly a museum, with a gorgeous view.

Advertisement

In 2002, she met her current partner, Johnny Argent, after hosting a writing competition. Argent is a writer, producer, composer, and music arranger, and they spoke on the phone for over a year before they started living together.

Roseanne believes they are kindred spirits, but they have not revealed if they have any plans for marriage. He has always supported her, and they have been inseparable since they met.

After the tweet scandal in 2018, she kept out of the spotlight, but in 2021, she took to her Instagram to post a picture, and in the caption, she wrote, "feeling good, looking better."

During her time out of the spotlight, Roseanne also became a grandmother to multiple grandchildren, and she said becoming a grandma was the most significant change she went through.

Advertisement
Advertisement
info

The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, and images contained on news.AmoMama.com, or available through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only. news.AmoMama.com does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider.

Related posts