Sharon Osbourne is accusing her "disgruntled" former co-hosts of making false allegations of racism against her, which ultimately led to her ousting from "The Talk."
Osbourne exited the show in March, following a heated on-air exchange with co-star Sheryl Underwood. Tensions mounted during a discussion about Osbourne pal Piers Morgan's controversial remarks about Meghan Markle following her tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, with Osbourne asserting that she was being branded a racist. Days after the debate, past co-host Leah Remini launched allegations of racism, claiming that Osbourne had made remarks about the Asian ethnicity of former "The Talk" co-host Julie Chen Moonves. Osbourne denied the claims during an appearance on Friday's edition of HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher."
"I'm used to being called names. A racist is one I will not take," Osbourne said, according to NBC News.
"I never, ever said that," she added of the accusations made by her former co-hosts, who she described as "disgruntled ladies" to Maher. "I don't even use those words; they're not in my vocabulary."
During the interview, Osbourne also discussed her argument with Underwood, which erupted after she told Osbourne that some of Morgan's statements could be seen as racist. During their exchange, Osbourne argued that her co-host was suggesting she herself had been racist. Things soon turned emotional, with Osbourne telling Underwood at one point: "Don’t try to cry. If anyone should be crying, it should be me."
Speaking with Maher, Osbourne said that the issue was not about having opposing views, but how the situation was handled.
"She's entitled to her opinion, Piers is entitled to his, and that's what it's all about," Osbourne explained, according to Insider. "You're entitled to have a disagreement, discuss it in a normal way."
Touching upon the topic of cancel culture, Osbourne questioned how it was impacting the livelihoods of those facing similar situations.
"I'm a fighter, I'm doing just fine," she told Maher. "What about the people that are cut from the knees down and they can't afford to get lessons now on what's politically correct and how to talk to people? What happens to them?
"It's not fair. It isn't about being a racist," she continued. "It's maybe not knowing what is correct and woke for your language that day. Because it changes from day to day, what is correct and what isn't."
"The Talk" was put on hold in March after an investigation into Osbourne was launched, but the show returned last Monday. During the episode, Underwood explained her side of the story.
"I didn't want to escalate things with Sharon because I thought I was having a conversation with a friend," she said, according to Crow River Media. "But also, I knew I had to be an example for others to follow because I didn't want to be perceived as the angry Black woman. And that really scared me. I didn't want to be that. I wanted to remain calm and remain focused. It's difficult to go back to that day because I feel the trauma, I feel fearful, a little apprehensive."
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