Did Sharon Osbourne Quit 'The Talk' Or Was She Fired? A Lack Of 'Trust' Was A Contributing Factor, Source Spills
After it was announced on Friday, March 26, that Sharon Osbourne was leaving The Talk, following the recent allegations of racism that plagued the long-time host earlier this month, a source tells OK! that Osbourne and CBS both felt it was time for her to go.
"The decision was mutual. Sharon didn’t want to go back and sit next to the ladies who threw her under the bus, while the show couldn’t trust Sharon to return and play nice,” says an OK! insider. "Her exit from the show has made Sharon a lot of money, which is why she hasn’t said anything yet. Just last week Sharon was on a press tour doing interview after interview. Now she is silent. You know she was paid to shut-up."
Osbourne’s departure comes after her controversial defense of friend Piers Morgan's freedom of speech following the questionable comments he made regarding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's interview with Oprah Winfrey (Morgan said he didn't believe anything the Duchess said during the tell-all).
“Sharon doesn’t need to say anything when she’s got Piers as a mouthpiece,” adds a pal. “She is disgusted about what has happened to her, but now is laughing all the way to the bank. Especially, as the show’s ratings are terrible.”
And while Osbourne is officially no longer part of The Talk, it seems she certainly didn't leave without a fight. Osbourne was allegedly demanding that her bosses pay her “millions” if they wanted her to quit, OK! reported. “She has a contract and they will have to pay her off if they want her to leave and that will cost them tens of millions,” an insider dished, adding: “If bosses expect her to go quietly, they have got another thing coming.”
OK! previously reported Osbourne's defense of the embattled host — who left Good Morning Britain after coming under fire for his comments about the royals' interview with Winfrey — took a turn when co-host Sheryl Underwood questioned on the March 10 episode of The Talk how she could defend someone who "uttered" something "racist."
"I feel like I’m about to be put in an electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist," Osbourne responded at the time. Following the co-hosts' heated debate, which resulted in Osbourne having a meltdown on-air, CBS launched an internal investigation.
The TV personality released a statement after the controversial discussion about Morgan, apologizing to those she offended in the Black community, explaining that she "panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over."
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However, amid the show's hiatus, a series of racist allegations were made against Osbourne, with sources claiming she called Julie Chen "slanty eyes" and referred to Sara Gilbert, who is openly gay, as a "p***y licker." Holly Robinson Peete also claimed that Osbourne said she was "too ghetto."
In response to the numerous allegations, Osbourne dismissed the claims, calling them all "crap" to the Daily Mail earlier this month.
As the scandal surrounding Osbourne continued to worsen, CBS announced in a statement that "Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk," adding: "The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home."
While Osbourne has yet to comment about her official departure from the talk show, Morgan has been very vocal about his thoughts on the matter via Twitter.
On Monday, March 29, Morgan clarified on Twitter: "I'm not a racist & neither is Sharon Osbourne but that didn't stop the woke mob lynching her just for defending me in a shocking episode that shames the Cowardly Broadcasting Network & should horrify anyone who values free speech."
He also threw shade at Underwood for calling him a "racist" without providing a shred of evidence to prove so. Morgan responded to a Twitter user who asked if he ever received an apology from Underwood after she labeled him a "racist."
"No," he wrote on Monday morning, "but it was a shameful lie and Ms Underwood knows it which is why she couldn't produce a single racist remark I'd ever made about Meghan Markle. Yet SHE keeps her job & Sharon loses hers for defending me against the lie."
