The Shady Side Of Sharon Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne made a name for himself with shocking on- and off-stage antics, and it would seem that to say the Black Sabbath frontman found his perfect match with Sharon Osbourne would be an understatement.
The music manager turned reality TV darling made a name for herself with MTV's The Osbournes, the reality show that made space for Keeping Up With The Kardashians and introduced America to the madness behind marrying rock royalty. A television fixture thereafter, Sharon hopped from one high profile hosting gig to the next, before eventually becoming the big fish in the pond over at ABC's daytime chatfest, The Talk.
But her rise to reality TV stardom apparently wasn't as virtuous as it seemed, and there may have been way more people screaming, "Sharonnnn!" out of frustration than just her beleaguered husband. Let's board the crazy train of her life to discover the shady side of Sharon Osbourne.
The feud that started the end for Sharon Osbourne at The Talk
Sharon Osbourne landed in the hot seat when she tweeted her defense of Piers Morgan after he walked off the set of Good Morning Britain due to heated discussions over his public scrutiny of Meghan Markle. Osbourne supported her friend by stating that she was "with [him]" and "stand[s] by [him]" as she believed he was simply "speaking [his] truth," which was a part of his job.
Osbourne's public support of Morgan led to her co-host The Talk, Sheryl Underwood, to confront Osbourne in a segment on the show — and things quickly escalated. Osbourne rapidly put up her defenses and demanded that Underwood "educate" her about the times in which Underwood "heard [Morgan] say racist things." She also warned Underwood to "don't try and cry," stating, "If anyone should be crying, it should be me," as she then worried about being perceived as "racist" herself.
After the intense exchange, CBS told People in a statement that the network is "committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace" and with that in mind, it would be conducting an "internal review." In part with the internal review process, Variety reported that due to the "investigation surrounding Sharon Osbourne," The Talk would be put "on a brief hiatus." Things remained complicated, however, as People reported that the hiatus was then extended "for a second time amid Sharon Osbourne controversy."
Was Sharon Osbourne a tyrant behind the scenes at The Talk?
Shows that are supposed to be light and fun are not immune to negative tabloid coverage, as we all saw what happened when Ellen DeGeneres was accused of perpetuating a toxic work culture on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show in April of 2020. Just days after the announcement of The Talk's extended hiatus and review, journalist Yashar Ali published allegations against Osbourne that painted a very different behind-the-scenes picture than the generally affable roundtable discussion that makes it to air.
Ali spoke with "multiple" show sources, including former co-host of The Talk, Leah Remini, who verified that she heard Osbourne using derogatory slurs about not only herself, but also former The Talk hosts Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert. Describing the scene behind the lively daytime show as "a web of high school vitriol, hatred and bullying," Remini also owned up to her own participation in what she also called a "toxic environment." She told Ali, "Not only did I do nothing about the racism and bullying I was receiving and witnessing, I was party to it."
In part of his lengthy denial statement to Ali, Osbourne's publicist, Howard Bragman, seemed to specifically refute Remini's claims, saying, "For 11 years Sharon has been kind, collegial and friendly with her hosts as evidenced by throwing them parties, inviting them to her home in the UK and other gestures of kindness too many to name."
Sharon Osbourne's messy exit from The Talk
After two weeks of hiatus and internal review, the powers that be announced on March 26, 2021 that "Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk." In a statment via The Hollywood Reporter, CBS said that the network had "concluded that Sharon's behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace." But let's back up from that resignation that sounds a lot like a termination.
Several days after Osbourne's on-air blow-up with Sheryl Underwood, Osbourne let loose on The Talk producers in an interview with ET, saying the whole segment left her feeling "set up" like a "sacrificial lamb." She then profusely apologized to Underwood, reiterated that she is "not a racist," and said, "I wish we could go on and have [an] adult conversation calmly and work it out but I don't know whether we can ... I don't know whether I'm wanted there."
Well, CBS apparently answered that question, as well as refuted Osbourne's notion that there was any kind of plan from show producers to "blindside" her on the air. The network additionally apologized for its own role in allowing such a "complex and sensitive discussion involving race" to occur on air between hosts who weren't "properly prepared" to do so, and promised to implement training and reforms in regards to "equity, inclusion and cultural awareness."
Several co-hosts of The Talk have clashed with Sharon Osbourne
When co-host Sara Gilbert left CBS' The Talk in 2019, she spoke about how much she "loved it [there]" and that it was an "extremely difficult" decision to come to (per USA Today), but that was not always the case for other co-hosts, especially when Sharon Osbourne was allegedly involved in their exit.
Former co-host Holly Robinson Peete tweeted about her experience leaving The Talk after one season, alleging that she "was gone" from the show shortly after Osbourne called her "too ghetto." In journalist Yashar Ali's exclusive report, former co-host Leah Remini backed up Robinson Peete's claims, and alleged that Osbourne, in fact, tried to get Robinson Peete booted from the show before she ever appeared on it. Ali also pointed out that Osbourne even told Howard Stern in 2011 that she felt neither Robinson Peete nor Remini were a good fit for the show.
Additionally, when co-host Marie Osmond announced she would also leave the show after only one season for personal reasons, Page Six reported an insider's claim that "show veterans Sharon and Sheryl threatened to quit unless Marie was canned."
In a blanket denial of the many allegations in Ali's report, Osbourne's publicist, Howard Bragman, said, in part: "The only thing worse than a disgruntled former employee is a disgruntled former talk show host. ... Sharon is disappointed but unfazed and hardly surprised by the lies, the recasting of history and the bitterness coming out at this moment."
Did Sharon Osbourne sent an assistant into a house fire to retrieve artwork?
There's always so many weird Hollywood stories floating around in regards to celebrities treating their assistants like non-humans, but they can often be swept under the rug. Such wasn't the case for Sharon Osbourne though, as she actually willingly spoke out about her cringe-worthy treatment of a former assistant on BBC's Would I Lie To You? On the game show, Sharon spoke of a time when a fire started in her living room, after husband Ozzy Osbourne and herself left a candle burning unattended. During the fiery chaos, the couple forced Ozzy's former assistant to go back into the house to try and retrieve both their dogs and their expensive artwork for them amid the blaze.
Osbourne also laughed about taking an oxygen mask off of the assistant while he was being treated by medics and "put it on [her] dog." She ended the tale with telling everyone that the assistant was "fired" shortly after the incident for "not having a sense of humor" about the whole thing. After public outcry, Sharon changed her story on an episode of The Talk, saying that she was only joking about firing this assistant, and that he was actually let go "15 years later."
Hmm... okay then. Is this what constitutes a sense of humor in Sharon Osbourne's world, because who's actually laughing at something like this?
The X-Factor couldn't escape the wrath of Sharon Osbourne, either
Sharon Osbourne also spent several seasons as a judge on The X-Factor, alongside the equally outspoken, Simon Cowell. So, did she enjoy her time on the singing competition show with the co-hosts and have nice things to say about the contestants along the way? Not so much.
Speaking with The Honest AF Show, Osbourne held nothing back in her criticism of Cowell, bluntly stating that he "doesn't have an ability to see individuals." She spoke of Cowell's "dated" opinions, claiming that "he doesn't like people who are overweight," which led to his refusal to "champion [American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson]." Those are some pretty hefty accusations there — don't mind the pun!
After announcing her decision not to return to The X-Factor in 2018, Osbourne shared some choice words in a chat with Howard Stern for both the young contestants on the show and her former colleague, Cowell. "Oh f**k, I don't have to have those kids singing in my face," she told the shock jock (via Vanity Fair), adding, "Those little s**ts. They all suck. It is like, 'Hey, is this f**king karaoke or what?" Osbourne saved her harshest vitriol for Cowell, describing him as "a pain in the arse" who's only ambition is getting his "f**king fat face on TV." Well, then.
Sharon Osbourne admitted she drugged Ozzy
It's certainly a difficult task to try and unpack the relationship between Sharon Osbourne and her rocker husband, Ozzy Osbourne.
One thing that Ozzy has been honest about with fans over the years is his struggle with alcoholism and drug addiction. According to Variety, in February 2021, Ozzy Osbourne has been sober for about seven years, after experiencing relapses and many trips to different rehabilitation facilities.
Another addiction which Ozzy confessed to Us Weekly about is his "sex addiction," which he felt "mortified" about, as it led to a separation from Sharon in 2016. And while that is objectively not great, according to The Sun, Sharon admitted that she "drugged Ozzy" with sleeping pills with hopes to expose his extra-marital affairs. Osbourne called herself "a broken woman" who was looking for answers from her husband in regards to the truth about his infidelity, so he took his sleeping pills on his own and she "put an extra two in his drink ... and asked him everything, and everything came out."
Of course, one might consider this particular method as a bit of a risk when your husband is a recovering addict, but Sharon is a unique soul, isn't she?
What about Sharon Osbourne's other daughter, Aimee?
According to VICE, the world pretty much has the Osbourne family to thank for "[pav[ing] the way" in "family-based reality TV," as after them came the ever-popular Keeping Up With The Kardashians on E! So, either send your gratitude or regrets their way!
Even if you never tuned into the show, MTV's The Osbournes became such a "cultural phenomenon" in the early 2000's that Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne and their two kids, Kelly and Jack, became widely recognized around the world. Apart from the TV brood, however, Sharon and Ozzy actually have another child though, an eldest daughter named Aimee. According to Hello!, Sharon spoke about how her firstborn actually "left home at 16" because she "couldn't live in [their] house" when they were filming the reality show as it "drove her insane."
In the same interview, Osbourne went on to say that her daughter Aimee found the idea of "grow[ing] up on camera" to be "appalling." Although Sharon did say that she "regret[s]" the alienation of Aimee, some might point out that, regardless, she still chose to star in a reality TV show on MTV over the well-being of one of her children. Aimee, it should be noted, hasn't changed her mind. In 2015, she told Rolling Stone, "I don't think I will ever cross-contaminate my private life and my family life with my public and professional worlds. For me, nothing's more important than having a very clear boundary between the two."
Wait, Sharon Osbourne used to send people what in the mail?
People have been discussing Ozzy Osbourne biting the head off of a live bat while on-stage with Black Sabbath in incredulous and grossed out tones for almost four decades now. The infamous incident even had a plush bat toy to commemorate its 37th anniversary in 2019. Which is weird and yet very Osbourne-esque.
Speaking of weird and disturbing things involving members of the Osbourne family, Sharon Osbourne visited The Late Late Show with James Corden and told quite the story of her own. With giggles throughout, Sharon spoke of how she has since grown up and doesn't go this dirty route anymore to sling insults, but when her children were little, she would have them go to the bathroom in a pretty blue Tiffany's box and then proceed to send them in the mail to people she didn't like. She even told the crowd how her son Jack pleaded with her and said, "Mummy, I don't have to poo in a box again, do I?" to which she replied, "Yes, shut up! Get pooing."
Just... wow. The mental toll these types of 'gifts' could take on a small child. It's probably very hard to forget bonding with your mom in such a way!
Kelly Osbourne got kudos from her mom for verbally attacking Ozzy's mistress
Sharon Osbourne and husband, Ozzy Osbourne, have had quite the tumultuous marriage, what with Ozzy even speaking out about the night he tried to kill his wife during a drug-induced stupor in a documentary titled Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne (via People).
In the fall of 2017, the world learned that Ozzy had been having multiple affairs throughout his marriage to Sharon. She spoke to The Telegraph to confirm that there wasn't just one woman, "there were six of them" — ranging from a Russian teen to different masseuses, and even a longstanding four-year affair with his hair stylist, Michelle Pugh.
The Osbourne's daughter, Kelly, took to her Twitter to publicly call out Pugh as she asked if anyone was looking for a "cheap chunky LOW-light and blow out," among other choice words and even listed a phone number that has since been disconnected (via E!), which is a dangerous online intimidation tactic known as "doxing." Kelly also continued fighting online critics of her behavior, at times slinging even more questionable insults. When asked about her daughter's Twitter outburst over her husband's affair on an episode of The Talk, Osbourne simply stated that she's "always proud of [her] girl" and "you have to laugh," because "she is just so funny."
Honestly, we're just glad Kelly didn't reach for a Tiffany box during all of this.
Sharon Osbourne once headbutted a club promoter
One thing that might not be as well known about Sharon Osbourne due to her long career in talk and reality television is that she actually started out as a music manager in the 1970's as her father was an industry big shot. Osbourne spoke about her time as a music manager for Black Sabbath on The Late Late Show with James Corden and told the host that she found success in the then male dominated industry by being "very mean" and "really crass." She even discussed a time when things went awry, involving money owed to Black Sabbath from a live show and she went so far to "[stand] up and [headbutt]" the club promoter who was giving her a hard time.
Former Black Sabbath guitarist Zakk Wylde spoke to Classic Rock about the same incident and cited how Sharon "don't take no sh*t from anybody" and if anyone messed with her, it was 100% "game on" (via Louder).
While Sharon also told Corden that her wild behavior in her early years was a "shield," because "half the time [she] didn't know what [she] was doing," we can't help but see parallels to the allegedly gruff behind-the-scenes behavior at The Talk all these years. Because even though the job descriptions vary, the resemblance is quite glaring — minus a headbutting incident, of course!
The list of Sharon Osbourne's celebrity targets is long
In Hollywood, one can often make a lot of friends along the way, or it can be a scandalous experience for those who like to run their mouth. Enter: Sharon Osbourne.
Take, for instance, when Kelly Osbourne told UK's Fabulous Magazine (via Us Weekly) that Lady Gaga's fans are "the worst" when it comes to bullying people about their weight after receiving ugly comments online from alleged Gaga supporters. After Gaga penned an open letter, citing what she perceived as Kelly's own bullying of celebs on E!'s Fashion Police, Sharon wrote her own open letter to Gaga, urging the pop star to address her fans' "slanderous and vile comments about [her] family" (per Us Weekly).
Sharon also didn't hesitate in sounding off with her thoughts on popstar Justin Bieber. She told the Daily Beast that she "[feels] really bad for him" as he started out as "this little kid with a huge dream," but his "[acting] out" and him not realizing that "he's white and not Black" is a "huge problem." Could there be a more problematic criticism of Justin Bieber and his career? But wait, there's more!
Sharon also voiced her distaste for the John Legend featuring Kelly Clarkson remake of "Baby, It's Cold Outside," calling the updating of lyrics in the classic tune "ridiculous," and compared it to trying to alter a "master painting" (via CNN).
Tell us how you really feel, Mrs. O.