‘The Talk’ hiatus extended amid new Osbourne racism allegations
Sharon Osbourne is accused of making prejudice comments about her Black, Asian and LGBTQ cast members.
What was supposed to be a two-day hiatus of The Talk has been extended by CBS after new allegations of racist behavior by co-host Sharon Osbourne have come to light.
In a new report by journalist Yashar Ali published in a lengthy newsletter on Substack, sources allege that Osbourne frequently referred to her former co-host, Julie Chen as “wonton” and “slanty eyes.”
Ali states that there are multiple witnesses to the behavior including Leah Remini who also was briefly a co-host on the show.
Osbourne also reportedly referred to another former co-host and show executive producer, Sara Gilbert as “p***y licker” and “fish eater.” Gilbert is a lesbian.
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The allegations began to pour in after an explosive confrontation toward co-host Sheryl Underwood last week when colleagues questioned Osbourne about her support of fellow Brit, Piers Morgan.
During the heated exchange Wednesday with Underwood, Osbourne cried and said that she felt like she was “about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is a racist, and that makes me a racist.”
She demanded Underwood to “educate her” about Morgan’s past racist statements about Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex.
Since the incident, more and more allegations have emerged about Osbourne’s racist behavior. Actress Holly Robinson Peete said that she was called “too ghetto” for the show, and Osbourne played a role in her ouster.
Read More: Holly Robinson Peete: Sharon Osbourne complained I was ‘too ghetto’ for ‘The Talk’
Ali writes in his newsletter that he began looking into allegations of racist behavior by Osbourne in 2018. He noted that he has spoken to 11 sources that year and again recently. All are anonymous because they signed non-disclosure agreements or fear retribution.
Ali notes that while she does not have the “contractual power to terminate someone, Osbourne, at least until recently, has had enormous influence, sources say, as she is seen as the most valuable member of the panel, able to generate attention-grabbing headlines.”
He writes, “According to sources, Osbourne has also been known to threaten to quit the show when she doesn’t get her way and has no problem making her feelings known internally on how she feels about her co-hosts.”
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