‘The Talk’ Returns: Elaine Welteroth Slams ‘False and Unfair’ Claim That Sharon Osbourne Was Set Up

Elaine Welteroth is shooting down “false narratives” from former The Talk co-host Sharon Osbourne that there was a set-up involved in orchestrating the heated conversation she had with co-host Sheryl Underwood on March 10 over allegations that Piers Morgan‘s criticism of Meghan Markle was racist which would ultimately lead to Osbourne’s exit from the CBS talk show.

When The Talk returned Monday following a hiatus brought on by the internal investigation into Osbourne’s conduct, Welteroth addressed Osbourne’s accusations that producers had “set her up” with the help of the other women on the panel. “There was nothing on my card that was preparing me,” she stated. “There have been a lot of false narratives that have been spun in the media that from both Sheryl and myself as co-conspirators and attacking someone. And I just want to take this opportunity to say that is absolutely categorically false and unfair.”

Osbourne had previously alleged to Entertainment Tonight last month that prior to the incident, a showrunner asked her if she wanted to “clear up” her initial defense of Morgan, to which she claimed to have replied, “If you want me to, I will.” Just minutes into showtime, Osbourne claimed a showrunner said, “Maybe one of [the co-hosts] doesn’t agree” with her, but thought the questions about the issue were written for Underwood and Welteroth on their index cards and not on hers. “And I’m like, ‘I’ve been set up,’” she told ET. “And I went like, how DARE you all do this to me! I’m your sacrificial lamb.”

Underwood previously denied Osbourne’s claims on her podcast, specifically that the questions she asked that day were provided by producers. “Because I was moderator that day, and I had been moderating Monday and Tuesday, and I had been moderating a lot, so I was a moderator,” the television personality said. “So I’m talking about what I wanted to ask, in a way that was not perceived as attacking. See, I was already thinking– And remember what I said? I thought this was going to go left, in my gut, I thought this was going to go left. And so I wanted to put it in a proper order, be very calm. And there were a few people that criticized me, why do you give any f— about somebody’s feelings that give no f— about yours? It’s not about the reaction of the person, it’s about me and who I am trying to evolve and to be mature.” Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.