Jack Osbourne Says Sharon Osbourne Rejected Return to The Talk Following Exit
Jack Osbourne is sharing his thoughts on his mother Sharon Osbourne’s widely publicized departure from The Talk.
“There was an avalanche of chaos surrounding it,” Jack, 40, mentioned during the Tuesday, February 3, episode of the “Hot Mics With Billy Bush” podcast. “They compensated her for the rest of her contract but didn’t offer her any golden parachutes or anything of the sort. The real concern lies in the long-term consequences. It’s that notion of, ‘Oh now you’re branded with a scarlet letter,’ and that stigma takes a significant time to fade.”
In March 2021, The Talk announced that Sharon, 73, would not be returning as a cohost after she stood up for her long-time friend Piers Morgan.
At that moment, cohost Sheryl Underwood shared her belief that by supporting Morgan, 60, Sharon was endorsing his seemingly racist comments. (Morgan had previously stated that he didn’t believe a single word spoken by Meghan Markle during her tell-all interview with Prince Harry.)
“The events during the broadcast on March 10 were distressing for everyone involved, including the audience at home. Following our review, we concluded that Sharon’s conduct toward her cohosts during that episode didn’t align with our standards for a respectful workplace,” CBS stated at the time. “We also found no evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or caught any of the hosts off guard.”
When podcast host Billy Bush remarked that Sharon was treated “unfairly,” Jack responded, “Oh, absolutely the most unfairly.”
“The show essentially plummeted after they let her go,” Jack stated. “When they decided to cancel it, they were planning a grand farewell and reached out to ask if my mom would return for the finale. Her response was, ‘F*** you.’”
In December 2024, The Talk bid farewell after 15 seasons with its final episode. At that time, Underwood, 62, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell, and Akbar Gbajabiamila were cohosts.
Jack expressed his support for his mother’s choice to exclude herself from the show’s farewell because “it gives them exposure.”
“It brings them attention at her expense. She said, ‘No, why should I do that for them?’ It does not make sense, and I completely agree,” he added. “I told her, ‘You should accept their invitation and when you show up, they should all apologize to you. That’s the only way you should approach it.’ It was unjust.”
Since her departure from The Talk, Sharon has resumed sharing her opinions on “The Osbournes” podcast. She also expressed remorse for her actions just days following the infamous discussion.
“After some introspection and reflecting on your comments, I would like to address the discussion on The Talk,” she stated in a previous announcement. “I have always been welcomed with immense love and support from the Black community and I have profound respect and affection for it. To anyone of color that I offended and to anyone who feels confused or let down by my words, I sincerely apologize. In that moment, I panicked, felt caught off guard, became defensive, and allowed my fear and horror of being labeled as racist take over. Very few things hurt my heart more than racism, so being associated with it affected me deeply! I am not perfect; I am still learning just like everyone else, and I will keep learning, listening, and improving.”
