Sharon Osbourne has apologized for defending Piers Morgan amid backlash to his recent comments about Meghan Markle, which led to accusations of racism made against her on “The Talk.”
“After some reflection, after sitting with your comments & sitting with my heart I would like to address the discussion on ‘The Talk’ this past Wednesday,” “The Talk” co-host said in a statement tweeted late Thursday. “I have always been embraced with so much love & support from the black community & I have deep respect & love for the black community. To anyone of color that I offended and/or to anyone that feels confused or let down by what I said, I am truly sorry. I panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over. There are very few things that hurt my heart more than racism so to feel associated with that spun me fast! I am not perfect, I am still learning like the rest of us & will continue to learn, listen and do better.”
The statement continued: “Please hear me when I say I do not condone racism, misogyny or bullying. I should have been more specific about that in my tweet. I will always support freedom of speech, but now I see how I unintentionally didn’t make that clear distinction. I hope we can collectively continue to learn from each other & from ourselves so we can all continue to pave the way for much needed growth & change. The community on this platform means a lot to me. I hope we can all hold each other up with accountability, compassion & love during this powerful time of paving the way for so much needed change.”
On Friday, in response to Osbourne’s apology, Morgan tweeted: “Sharon’s been shamed & bullied into apologising for defending me against colleagues accusing me of racism because I don’t believe Meghan Markle’s bullsh*t. This is where we’ve reached. I demand an apology from those @TheTalkCBS bullies for their disgraceful slurs against ME.”
Representatives for “The Talk” did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment Friday.
Osbourne defended Morgan publicly earlier this week following his remarks about not believing Markle’s reveal that she had once contemplated suicide during her and Prince Harry’s Sunday interview with Oprah Winfrey, and his subsequent exit from ITV’s “Good Morning Britain.”
“I am with you. I stand by you. People forget that you’re paid for your opinion and that you’re just speaking your truth,” Osbourne tweeted Tuesday. She also defended Morgan on air, saying, “I think people forget, he’s in a position because they pay him for his opinion. He’s a royalist, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
The following day on “The Talk,” Osbourne got into a heated discussion about race with her co-host Sheryl Underwood, in which Osbourne said she feels “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.”
“Don’t try and cry,” Osbourne said to Underwood, who is Black. “If anyone should be crying, it should be me.”
“Educate me! Tell me!” Osbourne continued, raising her voice and fighting back tears. “When have you heard him say racist things? Educate me! Tell me!”
“It’s not the exact words of racism. It’s the implication and the reaction to it,” Underwood responded. “To not want to address — that because she is a Black woman — and to try to dismiss it or try to make it seem less than what it is, that is what makes it racist.”
After the show aired, numerous Black journalists called out Osbourne’s on-air behavior, including E!’s Nina Parker, who said that Osbourne “weaponized her emotions and didn’t want anyone else to.”
See Osbourne’s apology tweet below.
— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) March 12, 2021
Lawrence Yee contributed to this report.