Why Sharon Osbourne Is Lashing out at America

Sharon Osbourne is back on TV in the U.K., but the former panelist from The Talks is lashing out at America. According to the Daily Mail, Osbourne opened up in a recent talk show interview about being “blacklisted” after she showed support for Piers Morgan over the backlash to his controversial comments about Meghan Markle. “I’ve never spoken with hate,” Osbourne said, later adding that she got “threats” over her defense of Morgan.

When asked if this had anything to do with her moving back to the United Kingdom, Osbourne replied, “I can’t get arrested in America. It went wrong. It went vert, very wrong.” She added, “They say there isn’t blacklisting in America but I’m living proof that there is. Not that I’m resentful or whatever. It’s just a fact of life, it happens doesn’t it?” Osbourne also replied “yes,” when asked if she was “canceled” in America. “I got threats and things like that,” she said again. “It’s like I can look at myself in the mirror, and I know I can talk and I’m loud and I know that about myself… But I’ve never spoken with hate and I stick up for my friends and that’s what I was doing. I know who I am.”

In April 2021, The Talk went on a temporary hiatus after a heated exchange between Osbourne and her then-co-host Sheryl Underwood sparked a race-related controversy. The whole thing started, with Osbourne expressing support for Morgan, who quit his own show, Good Morning Britain, following cruel comments about Meghan Markle. Coincidentally, Morgan had also been called out by a fellow co-host for his comments, just as Underwood did with Osbourne for hers.

During the show’s break, an internal investigation into Osbourne’s behavior was done and uncovered allegations of past racist comments. In a statement on her exit, CBS explained, “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.”

In her new interview, Osbourne was asked what she likes about working for her new show and network. “At TalkTV I don’t have to [hide what I think] because everyone has different opinions,” she replied. “And we all say what we feel in a respectful way. There’s no hate speech or ‘I’m really secretly part of this party.’ People say what they feel and you’ve got a space to feel it and its great.”