Sharon Osbourne leaving 'The Talk' following accusations of racism
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Sharon Osbourne is leaving The Talk after almost 11 years.
Osbourne, one of the original hosts of the daytime staple that debuted in 2010, has been embroiled in controversy since she defended her friend Piers Morgan's takedown of Meghan Markle following her and Prince Harry's explosive sit-down with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month. After Morgan slammed Markle on his own show, Good Morning Britain — to the point that he was confronted by a colleague — he stormed off set and left for good. Osbourne then engaged in a heated conversation on The Talk with co-host Sheryl Underwood about whether Morgan had been racist.
. @piersmorgan I am with you. I stand by you. People forget that you’re paid for your opinion and that you’re just speaking your truth.
— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) March 9, 2021
Osbourne issued a public apology to "anyone of color that I offended," as the network put the show on hiatus and announced that it would conduct an internal review of the matter.
Enter Holly Robinson Peete, a former co-host on the show, who alleged that Osbourne once referred to her as "too ghetto." Peete, who is Black, was backed up by Leah Remini, another former co-host on the show. Osbourne said she hadn't said the word.
The former reality star then faced fresh allegations of abusive remarks. Journalist Yashar Ali spoke with 11 people who said she had, for example, called former co-host Julie Chen, who is Asian American, names such as "slanty eyes" and "wonton."
CBS gave the following statement to Yahoo Entertainment on Friday:
"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. 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."
Osbourne hasn't spoken on the issue via social media since her apology. Yahoo Entertainment has reached out for comment.
The Talk will return without her on April 12.
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