According to Deadline, Sharon Osbourne is exiting the CBS show “The Talk” following her emotional defense of pal Piers Morgan‘s criticism of Meghan Markle.
After completing an internal a probe into the situation, the network released a statement saying that Osbourne decided herself to depart the show.
The statement reads: “The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon‘s behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts.
“At the same time, we acknowledge the Network and Studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race.
“During this week’s hiatus, we are coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew. Going forward, we are identifying plans to enhance the producing staff and producing procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers.”
In the aforementioned episode of “The Talk”, Osbourne and co-host Sheryl Underwood got into a heated debate about racism after Osbourne defended Piers Morgan for his controversial comments about Duchess Meghan. During the exchange, Underwood got emotional to which Osbourne fired back at her, saying: “Don’t try and cry because if anyone should be crying, it should be me.”
Osbourne posted a public apology on March 12, tweeting that she felt “panicked” that people might think she was racist, so she “got defensive and allowed my fear and horror of being accused of being racist take over. There are very few things that hurt my heart more than racism so to feel associated with that spun me fast! I am not perfect, I am still learning like the rest of us and will continue to learn, listen and do better.” She later claimed that she was blindsided by Underwood questioning her defense of Morgan and was not sufficiently prepared by showrunners and producers. She said she believed her co-hosts “had preparation, they had written questions for them.”
In the meantime, former “The Talk” co-host Holly Robinson Peete alleged that Osbourne had called her too “ghetto” to be on the show and responsible for her eventual ousting, claims Osbourne has denied. “Never in my life did I utter the words that Holly was ‘too ghetto’ to be on ‘The Talk’, as well as not having her fired,” Osbourne tweeted. Fellow “The Talk” alum Leah Remini also claimed Ozzy‘s wife referred to Julie Chen, who is Chinese American, as a “wonton” and “slanty eyes,” and called Sara Gilbert, who is a lesbian, a “pussy licker.” Osbourne has denied all these claims and has said that she is “disappointed but unfazed and hardly surprised by the lies, the recasting of history and the bitterness coming out at this moment.”
