Sharon Osbourne is leaving The Talk after appearing on the show since its debut in 2010.
In a statement on Friday, CBS announced Osbourne’s exit from the daytime talk show. Her departure comes after the series extended its hiatus for a second time, PEOPLE confirmed, as the network continued to look into Osbourne’s behavior following her controversial defense of Piers Morgan on the March 10 episode.
“Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk,” the statement begins.
“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,” it continues.
“At the same time, 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,” the statement reads.
It concludes: “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.”
The Talk was initially put on a two-day hiatus before the break was extended. The show was scheduled to return March 22, but will now return April 12 following a pre-scheduled hiatus the week of April 5.
During the March 10 episode, Osbourne, 68, defended Morgan amid backlash for his controversial remarks questioning the validity of Meghan Markle’s discussion on mental health during her recent interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Her fierce defense of Morgan, 55 — who quit Good Morning Britain amid criticism from his co-host Alex Beresford — resulted in an intense exchange with Sheryl Underwood on The Talk.
Following Morgan’s departure, Osbourne defended him on Twitter, writing at the time, “I am with you. I stand by you.”
Underwood, 57, later told Osbourne that she was downplaying the racial undertones of Morgan’s remarks.
“Did I like everything he said? Did I agree with what he said? No,” Osbourne argued on The Talk show. “Because it’s his opinion. It’s not my opinion … I support him for his freedom of speech, and he’s my friend.”
Underwood then posed the question, “What would you say to people who may feel that while you’re standing by your friend, it appears you gave validation or safe haven to something that he has uttered that is racist, even if you don’t agree?”
Their conversation quickly turned emotional with Osbourne telling Underwood to “educate” her and warning her not to cry during the episode. “I very much feel 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?” Osbourne asked while on the verge of tears.
Addressing the situation that Friday, Underwood said on The Steve Harvey Morning Show: “I want to thank everybody all over the world in social media, everybody in radio, television, news, everywhere, everybody that reached out.” She added that she received “prayers” and “love” from fans.
Osbourne later apologized for her “panicked” response to Underwood.
“I have always been embraced with so much love & support from the black community & I have deep respect & love for the black community,” she wrote on Twitter.
“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,” Osbourne continued. “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.”
PEOPLE
