Sharon Osbourne Defends Piers Morgan Following His Meghan Markle Comments, Exit From Morning Show

Sharon Osbourne has voiced her support for Piers Morgan following his departure from Good Morning Britain. This week, the broadcaster stepped down as co-host of the ITV morning show amid backlash to his comments about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry‘s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, including remarks that he doesn’t believe the Duchess of Sussex’s statement that she experienced suicidal thoughts amid harsh reports from British tabloids and trouble within the royal family.

Following ITV’s Tuesday announcement that Morgan “has decided now is the time to leave Good Morning Britain,” Osbourne took to Twitter to throw her support behind the broadcaster, who had co-anchored the series for six years. Tagging Morgan in the post, Osbourne said, “I am with you. I stand by you.” She added that “people forget that you’re paid for your opinion and that you’re just speaking your truth.”

Osbourne is the latest celebrity to weigh in on Morgan’s comments, which prompted tens of thousands of complaints to UK media regulator Ofcom and his subsequent exit from GMB. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly also voiced support for Morgan, tweeting in part, “in an era of free speech being stifled everywhere, Piers fearlessly speaks his mind. We need more, not fewer like that in media.” CNN’s Jake Tapper also supported Morgan, calling his exit “insanity” and adding that “this is what happens when you live in a country where there is no First amendment… Governments should have no role in policing news broadcasts.”

Not everyone has been as supportive, however. Chelsea Handler responded to news of Morgan’s departure by sharing an old clip from Morgan’s CNN show in which she criticized his interviewing style, calling him a “terrible interviewer.” She shared the clip alongside a message reading, “Some assh–s get better. Some just stay the same.”

Since his exit, Morgan has come out in defense of his remarks. He told Sky News Wednesday he doesn’t “believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth and I think the damage she’s done to the British monarchy and the Queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and frankly contemptible. If I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly-held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out within that interview, so be it.” He has also celebrated that his final GMB show, in which he stormed off the set, was watched by a record-breaking 1.29 million people.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.