"The Talk" has returned following Sharon Osbourne's exit and its hosts are now ready to speak about the episode that sparked the controversy.
The show was put on hold in March following a heated discussion about racism between Osbourne and co-host Sheryl Underwood. An investigation was launched and Osbourne later left the show. The show returned on Monday and co-hosts Underwood and Elaine Welteroth have explained their side of the story.
"I didn't want to escalate things with Sharon because I thought I was having a conversation with a friend," Underwood explained, 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."
Welteroth added that she and Underwood knew that they needed to stay composed in that situation.
"Even in the face of someone who was A, not listening and B, went off the rails into disrespect, when we were maintaining our respect within the context of this very complex, charged, emotional conversation," she said.
"All you can control is yourself, and I think that the way Sheryl — both of us, frankly — conducted ourselves that day was respectful. And you were trying to protect your friend in the process of a very hard conversation, and I want people to ask themselves, why would you believe that we were attacking her? There was nothing on my cards that was preparing me."
Osbourne previously told Variety that CBS executives ordered producers of "The Talk" to have her co-hosts bring up questions about tweets she had posted supporting and defending Morgan.
"I blame the network for it," she said. "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."
Osbourne recalled being asked by a showrunner whether it was all right to speak about Morgan. Osbourne said she agreed, but when she took her seat on the panel found Underwood was 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," she said. "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."
Welteroth dismissed the claims.
"There have been a lot of false narratives spun in the media that frame both Sheryl and myself as co-conspirators in attacking someone," she said. "I just want to take this opportunity to say that that is absolutely categorically false and unfair."
Related Stories: