Sharon Osbourne spoke out for the first time following her departure from The Talk, and she continued to maintain her innocence.
During an appearance on the Real Time with Bill Maher on Friday, the 68-year-old opened up about how she was “angry” and “hurt” at being called a racist for her support of Piers Morgan and the subsequent accusations made by former co-hosts.
“I’ve been called so many things in my life — I am so used to being called names — but a racist is one I will not take.”
Related: Sharon Osbourne Didn’t Watch The Talk Return? Y’all Buying This?
As you may recall, Osbourne came under fire after defending the former Good Morning Britain host for his comments questioning Meghan Markle’s discussion on mental health in her interview with Oprah Winfrey. The controversial conversation led to a heated exchange with co-host Sheryl Underwood, who clapped back at the longtime host for supporting Morgan’s remarks. Osbourne later apologized for the “panicked response” to her colleague on the show.
Following the episode, the TV personality faced more claims of racist, homophobic, and bullying language, which she has since denied. Since then, CBS announced Osbourne’s exit from the talk show following an extended hiatus and investigation into the episode. The network said in a statement at the time:
“CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace across all of our productions. We’re also very mindful of the important concerns expressed and discussions taking place regarding events on The Talk. This includes a process where all voices are heard, claims are investigated and appropriate action is taken where necessary.”
In the interview with Maher, Osbourne felt like neither she nor Morgan did anything wrong other than express doubt and opinions regarding some of Markle’s statements.
“She’s entitled to her opinion, Piers is entitled to his. And that’s what it’s all about.”
She added:
“Disagreeing with someone does not make you a racist in my book.”
The British star then denied Leah Remini’s claim that she called Julie Chen “slanty eyes” and referred to Sara Gilbert as a “p***y licker,” as well as Holly Robinson Peete’s claim that Osbourne found her “too ghetto” for the show. The author told Maher that she “never ever” used a slur before adding:
“I don’t even use those words. They’re not in my vocabulary.”
Mind you, Sharon used the racist and offensive language in her first interview against the claims with DailyMail.com last month. Osbourne went on to call them “disgruntled ladies” when discussing the feud with the former colleagues. Ch-ch-check out the full interview (below):
It appears that Sharon still has yet to learn anything.
In case you missed it, The Talk returned on Monday with the remaining co-hosts Underwood, Carrie Ann Inaba, Elaine Welteroth, and Amanda Kloots. In it, the women had an open discussion about “race and healing.” Underwood actually spoke about the controversial moment with Sharon, confessing how she didn’t want “to escalate things” at the time.
“I thought I was having a conversation with a friend, but also I knew I had to be an example.”
Okay, Perezcious readers, what did U think about Sharon’s discussion on leaving The Talk? Sound OFF in the comments (below)!
[Image via Real Time with Bill Maher/YouTube]
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