Sharon Osbourne has exited from CBS’ The Talk. This comes after a heated on-air conversation about race with co-host Sheryl Underwood about race, and accusations of racism from other colleagues.
After an internal investigation, CBS released a statement, saying: “The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon’s behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts.”
On March 10th, Osbourne defended her friend Piers Morgan, who also left his show in Britain over his comments about Meghan Markle following her interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which she revealed suicidal feelings and moments of extreme racism at the hands of the Royal Family and the media.
Osbourne said to Underwood: “The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home. As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon’s behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts.”
After the exchange, The Talk went on hiatus for two weeks, and she did issue a written apology, but many said it was too late. Co-host Holly Robinson Peete accused Osbourne of telling producers that Robinson Peete was “too ghetto,” which resulted in Peet’s dismissal from the show. Leah Remini, another former co-host, also said that Osbourne made racist remarks against former co-host Julie Chen and homophobic remarks about The Talk creator Sara Gilbert.
Osbourne denied those allegations. The Talk will return April 12th with new episodes. CBS plans to use the time to do serious work, they said: “We acknowledge the network and studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race. During this week’s hiatus, we are coordinating workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness for the hosts, producers and crew. Going forward, we are identifying plans to enhance the producing staff and producing procedures to better serve the hosts, the production and, ultimately, our viewers.”