Sharon Osbourne Is Out at 'The Talk' Following an Internal Investigation by CBS

Kayla Keegan
·7 min read
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From Good Housekeeping

Update, March 27, 2021: The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that Sharon Osbourne will not be returning to The Talk amid controversy sparked during a recent episode in which she defended her friend Piers Morgan and demanded co-host Sheryl Underwood "educate" her about racism. A founding panelist of the show, Sharon has also come under fire in recent weeks from former panelists, including Holly Robinson Peete and Leah Remini, for allegedly making racist comments in the past. In a statement released on Friday afternoon, CBS said:

"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."

After a weeks-long hiatus, the show will return without Sharon on Monday, April 12, following a pre-scheduled break during the first week of the month.

Original, March 22, 2021: For the second week in a row, there will be no new episodes of CBS's daytime show The Talk.

Last Sunday, the network announced that the show would be on hiatus and would return this week. Now, however, People has confirmed that The Talk will not come back for at least another week following a string of controversies surrounding cohost Sharon Osbourne.

Given the second hiatus, fans online are demanding answers about the future of the show. Some are speculating that the show will be canceled, while others wonder if CBS is contemplating changing up the cohosts. Meanwhile, the network has not issued another return date.

Why is The Talk not on CBS right now?

The show decided to go on a break and launch an investigation following a particularly heated episode earlier this month. It all began on March 9, the Tuesday after Oprah Winfrey's CBS interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry aired. Sharon quickly came under fire after backing former Good Morning Britain cohost Piers Morgan on Twitter, whose remarks made about the Duchess of Sussex drew heavy criticism, including one where he said he didn't believe Meghan's suicidal thoughts (Piers later clarified his stance and ended up quitting Good Morning Britain the same week).

On March 10, Sharon spoke about her defense of Piers, saying that while what he said wasn't her opinion, she supports him "for his freedom of speech" and because he's her friend. Her cohost Sheryl Underwood, however, questioned the downplaying of Piers's comments.

"What would you say to people who may feel that while you're standing by your friend, it appears that you give validation or safe haven to something that he has uttered that is racist, even if you don't agree?" Sheryl asked Sharon.

This led to Sharon getting increasingly upset and lashing out at Sheryl: "I feel even like I'm about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist?"

The Friday after the exchange took place, Sharon issued an apology for her tweet and on-camera behavior, while claiming to be "blindsided" by The Talk discussion.

"There are very few things that hurt my heart more than racism so to feel associated with that spun me fast," she explained on Twitter. "I am not perfect, I am still learning like the rest of us & will continue to learn, listen and do better."

Sheryl also addressed the conversation on her podcast.

"I really didn't realize it was jumping off. I thought we were having a conversation like we normally do. But then I got a feeling that, wait a minute, this ain’t what it usually is," Sheryl said. "I also got another feeling of, OK, Sheryl, this is time for you to step up into the leadership position … this is time for you to show what you’re made of, and in a personal way. No matter what somebody said about you, I can show you something better than I can tell you."

"I wasn't really trying to make good TV," Sheryl added. "What I was really trying to do was have a conversation with somebody that I love, that I still love. And have a conversation with two new friends that I'm falling in love with: Elaine Welteroth and Amanda Kloots. Sharon Osbourne is my friend."

The same day, former Talk cohost Holly Robinson Peete tweeted that Sharon had complained she was "too ghetto" when she was on the show and suggested that this played a role in her exit. Sharon denied Holly's allegations in a now-deleted tweet.

On March 16, however, journalist Yashar Ali reported that multiple sources, including season one cohost Leah Remini, recalled Sharon allegedly using several racial and homophobic slurs when talking about her former Talk cohosts Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert.

In response to the allegations, ET received the following statement from Sharon's publicist:

"The only thing worse than a disgruntled former employee is a disgruntled former talk show host. For 11 years Sharon has been kind, collegial and friendly with her hosts as evidenced by throwing them parties, inviting them to her home in the U.K. and other gestures of kindness too many to name.

Sharon is disappointed, but unfazed and hardly surprised by the lies, the recasting of history and the bitterness coming out at this moment. She will survive this, as she always has and her heart will remain open and good, because she refuses to let others take her down. She thanks her family, friends and fans for standing by her and knowing her true nature."

The same day, Sharon sat down with ET's Kevin Frazier to talk about the ongoing controversy. In the interview, Sharon alleged that she was "blindsided" by Sheryl's questioning and not "sufficiently prepared" by showrunners and producers. She also claimed that she had apologized to Sheryl, but hadn't heard back from her.

"I wish we could go on and have an adult conversation calmly and work it out but I don't know whether we can," she explained. "I don't know whether it's gone past that. I would love to but I don't know whether I even want to go back. ... I don't know whether I'm wanted there."

Since The Talk's conversation between Sheryl and Sharon, CBS has issued the following statement:

“CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace across all of our productions. We’re also very mindful of the important concerns expressed and discussions taking place regarding events on The Talk. This includes a process where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary.”

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