NEWSThe Truth Behind Ozzy Osbourne's Infamous Bat-Eating Incident Revealed
The truth has been revealed about Ozzy Osbourne's infamous bat-eating incident.
July 27 2025, Published 2:50 p.m. ET
Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary rock star known as the Prince of Darkness, has left the world at 76.
The musician, who helped shape heavy metal, passed away shortly after performing his final concert in Birmingham, England, where he belted out hits from both his Black Sabbath days and solo career while seated on a throne.
The Prince of Darkness has passed away at the age of 76.
Osbourne's career is filled with myth and legend, but one tale stands out: did he really eat a bat onstage?
The answer is complicated, but the short story is yes, kind of.
The singer's onstage persona blended his music with a theatrical flair for the occult. In 1981, he attracted attention for his debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, which featured the song "Mr. Crowley." During promotional preparations, he staged a stunt by releasing doves.
However, a drunken Osbourne took things too far when he bit the heads off two of the birds, leading to his ejection from the venue.
Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne married in 1982 and overcame many challenges to stay together.
This bizarre behavior helped to fuel legends about Osbourne. The following year, during the Diary of a Madman tour, he performed at the Des Moines Veterans Memorial Auditorium. A fan, reportedly armed with a bat he had stolen from a high school lab, threw the creature onto the stage.
Unbeknownst to Osbourne, he believed it was a toy and bit its head off. His future wife, Sharon, allegedly yelled, "Dummy! It's real!"
Ozzy later claimed the bat bit him as well. After the performance, he received rabies shots as a precaution.
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Ozzy Osbourne embraced the infamous incident and even released a plush bat toy.
Over time, Ozzy embraced the infamous incident, often joking about it onstage and even releasing a plush bat toy. Fans can now find shirts and patches featuring the iconic Ozzy-with-a-bat design adorning acid-washed denim jackets.
Ozzy's wild lifestyle extended beyond bats, with tales of him snorting ants while hanging out with Mötley Crüe. He even mentioned this incident in interviews as recently as 2023, leaving fans to wonder about its authenticity.
'The Osbournes' reality show revealed a different side of Ozzy Osbourne.
Despite his chaotic persona, Ozzy showed a different side offstage. Before gaining fame on The Osbournes reality show, he featured in the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years, where he was seen cooking a simple breakfast of eggs and orange juice — far removed from the bat-eating antics.
