Sharon Osbourne ‘Has Decided To Leave’ ‘The Talk’ Amid Racism Controversy, CBS Announces

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne ‘Has Decided To Leave’ ‘The Talk’ Amid Racism Controversy, CBS Announces

Sharon Osbourne has exited CBS daytime talk show The Talk, just weeks after a heated discussion on racism on the show.

The network announced that the move was her choice in a statement Friday (March 26th). It reads, according to The Hollywood Reporter,

“Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk. The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home.”

Following the discussion, CBS announced that it would conduct an internal review of Sharon Osbourne’s comments. It also shared the results of the investigation in the statement announcing her departure.

“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.”

CBS went on to dispel Sharon Osbourne’s claims that she was set up by production to have the discussion on air.

“We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts.”

As previously reported, things got heated between Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood after Osbourne defended controversial remarks from Piers Morgan that some deemed as racist.

Osbourne, who was the only original co-host left, later released a statement and said she was “blindsided” by the moment.

“I blame the network for it. I was blindsided, totally blindsided by the whole situation. In my 11 years, this was the first time I was not involved with the planning of the segment.” 

According to Osbourne, about eight minutes before the show, a showrunner asked her if it was okay if they asked about Piers Morgan. Osbourne said,

“I said, ‘Sure, they can ask me whatever.’ But then I get on there, I say my piece and Sheryl [Underwood] turns around straight-faced, looks at me and is reading from a card with questions. I was just so hurt, caught off guard and stunned by what I was being asked and not prepared. I was honestly in shock. I felt like I was in front of a firing squad. I felt like a lamb held out for slaughter. … They had me there for 20 minutes.”

Osbourne also called out the network and said,

“I’m a big girl. I’m a professional. However CBS blindsided me. I don’t know why they did it to me. The showrunners told me it came from executives to do this to me.” 

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