For more than a decade, Sharon Osbourne was one of the most recognizable personalities on American daytime television. Known for her outspoken opinions, sharp humor, and fiercely protective attitude toward her family and friends, the British television star rarely hesitated to say exactly what she thought.
But in March 2021, one heated conversation about Meghan Markle changed the course of her career.
What began as Sharon defending a longtime friend quickly escalated into an emotional confrontation on national television. Within weeks, she was gone from the CBS talk show she had helped launch.
Five years later, the controversy has resurfaced after Sharon’s former cohost, Sheryl Underwood, revealed something unexpected about their relationship following the death of Sharon’s husband, legendary rock musician Ozzy Osbourne.
The story involves a royal interview, a television walkout, accusations of racism, and a friendship that never fully recovered.
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The Royal Interview That Started Everything
The controversy began on March 7, 2021, when Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey for a highly anticipated television interview.
During the conversation, Meghan discussed her experiences within the British royal family, including concerns about racism and the emotional difficulties she had experienced.
She also revealed that she had struggled with suicidal thoughts during her time as a working royal.
The interview generated international headlines and divided public opinion.
Among its most outspoken critics was British television presenter Piers Morgan.
During an episode of Good Morning Britain, Morgan questioned Meghan’s account of her mental health struggles.
His comments prompted widespread criticism and complaints to the British broadcasting regulator Ofcom.
Following an on-air confrontation with a colleague, Morgan left the program on March 9, 2021.
CBS Los Angeles
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Sharon Osbourne Made One Decision That Changed Her Career
Sharon, who had been friends with Morgan for years, publicly defended him.
On March 9, she posted a message on social media expressing her support.
Her position was that Morgan should be entitled to express his opinions, even if others strongly disagreed.
But the next day, when the controversy became a topic of discussion on CBS’s The Talk, the situation escalated dramatically.
Sharon’s cohost Sheryl Underwood questioned whether defending Morgan’s comments could appear to validate racially insensitive views.
Sharon responded emotionally, arguing that supporting a friend did not mean she shared all his opinions.
The discussion became increasingly tense, with Sharon demanding examples of what Morgan had said that could be considered racist.
At one point, she told Underwood not to cry and insisted that she was the one who felt unfairly accused.
The confrontation left the studio in an uncomfortable silence and soon became a major entertainment news story.
The Independent
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CBS Took the Show Off the Air
The fallout was immediate.
CBS temporarily suspended production of The Talk while the network investigated the confrontation.
The controversy expanded beyond the original discussion, with additional allegations about Sharon’s past conduct appearing in media reports.
Sharon apologized publicly, explaining that she had reacted defensively because she felt she was being accused of racism.
However, she also maintained that the conversation had caught her off guard.
CBS conducted an internal investigation into the incident and the workplace environment surrounding the show.
On March 26, 2021, the network announced that Sharon would leave The Talk.
CBS said its review concluded that her behavior toward her colleagues had not met its standards for a respectful workplace.
The network also acknowledged that the show’s producers had not adequately prepared the hosts for such a sensitive discussion.
Importantly, CBS said it found no evidence that executives had deliberately orchestrated the confrontation.
After 11 years on the program, Sharon’s time as a cohost was over.
CBS Los Angeles
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Sharon Breaks Down Over Losing Her Career
For Sharon, the consequences extended far beyond losing a television job.
In April 2021, she appeared on Real Time With Bill Maher to discuss the controversy.
She described feeling angry and hurt by the way events had unfolded.
Sharon maintained that she had been defending a friend’s right to express an opinion rather than endorsing every statement he had made.
She also believed that the public reaction had damaged her reputation and professional opportunities.
In January 2023, Sharon claimed she had been effectively blacklisted in American television following the controversy.
During an appearance on Britain’s This Morning, she discussed returning to the United Kingdom and the difficulties she believed she had experienced in finding work.
Those were Sharon’s characterizations of the aftermath, rather than independently established evidence of an industry-wide blacklist.
Rolling Stone
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Ozzy Osbourne Stood by His Wife
Throughout the controversy, Sharon continued to have the support of her family, including her husband, Ozzy Osbourne.
The couple had been married since 1982 and had weathered numerous personal and professional challenges together.
Their relationship became famous through MTV’s reality series The Osbournes, which gave viewers a glimpse into their unconventional family life.
Despite their highly publicized difficulties over the years, Sharon and Ozzy remained together.
For Sharon, who had spent decades managing Ozzy’s career, the relationship was central to both her personal and professional identity.
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A Heartbreaking Loss in July 2025
On July 22, 2025, Ozzy Osbourne died at the age of 76.
His death came just weeks after his farewell performance with Black Sabbath in Birmingham, England.
Sharon, who had spent more than four decades by his side, faced an enormous personal loss.
The couple’s long relationship had made them one of rock music’s most recognizable partnerships.
Photographs of Sharon grieving during Ozzy’s funeral procession in Birmingham moved fans around the world.
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Five Years Later, Sheryl Underwood Reveals an Unexpected Gesture
In March 2026, the controversy returned to the headlines when Sheryl Underwood appeared as a guest cohost on ABC’s The View.
During a conversation about celebrity disagreements, Underwood reflected on her falling-out with Sharon.
Despite their public confrontation, she revealed that she had attempted to contact Sharon after Ozzy’s death.
Underwood said she still believed there was affection between them.
“I tried to reach out when Ozzy passed,” she explained.
She also acknowledged that years of working together had created a meaningful relationship, even if their disagreement had become deeply painful.
Underwood admitted that she had previously been reluctant to leave Sharon a voicemail because she feared a private message could become public or be misunderstood.
Her comments suggested that, despite everything that had happened, she had not forgotten their years as colleagues.
EW.com
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Did Sharon and Sheryl Ever Reconcile?
The answer remains complicated.
Sharon previously claimed that she had attempted to apologize to Underwood following their confrontation.
During a 2024 interview on The Sage Steele Show, she said she had contacted her former colleague but believed her efforts had not been acknowledged.
Underwood has offered a different account of their communication.
Despite these disagreements, her March 2026 remarks indicated that she was willing to acknowledge the affection that once existed between them.
There has been no confirmed public reconciliation between the two women.
AOL
The Talk Eventually Came to an End
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In December 2024, The Talk ended after 15 seasons.
Sharon had left the program more than three years earlier.
When the show’s cancellation was announced, she responded with a mixture of criticism and nostalgia.
She suggested the program had been struggling with declining ratings and advertising revenue, but also spoke fondly about its early years and several of her former colleagues.
The show’s cancellation was a separate network decision years after Sharon’s departure, not a direct consequence established by the 2021 controversy.
AP News
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What Really Caused Sharon Osbourne to Lose Her Job?
The viral headline suggests that Sharon lost her position because she made one controversial move involving Meghan Markle.
That captures the beginning of the story, but not the entire reason for her departure.
Sharon publicly defended Piers Morgan after his comments about Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey. When Sheryl Underwood challenged her position on The Talk, the discussion became heated.
CBS subsequently investigated and concluded that Sharon’s behavior during the broadcast did not meet its workplace standards.
Sharon, meanwhile, maintained that she had been unfairly treated for supporting her friend.
The dispute became a prominent example of the wider debate over free expression, accountability, and workplace conduct in entertainment.
A Story That Still Resonates Five Years Later
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Five years after the original confrontation, the controversy remains part of Sharon Osbourne’s public story.
What began with Meghan Markle’s interview ultimately affected multiple television personalities, divided viewers, and ended a long-running chapter of Sharon’s career.
But the most unexpected development came in 2026, when Sheryl Underwood spoke about reaching out to Sharon during one of the most painful moments of her life.
Their professional relationship had ended in controversy, yet Underwood’s comments suggested that years of shared history were not so easily forgotten.
The scandal cost Sharon her place on daytime television. Whether the two former friends will ever fully reconcile remains an unanswered question.
Sources: CBS News, March 26, 2021; Los Angeles Times, March 26, 2021; The Independent, March 27, 2021; Evening Standard, January 10, 2023; People, 2024; Entertainment Weekly, March 10, 2026. Images are real-event and archival photo searches, including Sharon’s television career, the 2021 controversy, and its aftermath.
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