Sharon Osbourne Departs THE TALK Amidst Racism Allegations

Sharon Osbourne has officially departed the daytime talkshow, The Talk, after facing accusations of racism earlier this month, Vulture reports.

CBS had previously put the show on hiatus after Osbourne defended Piers Morgan amidst racism accusations toward him.

The network released the following statement:

Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave The Talk. 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.

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.

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 episode in question included a segment where Osbourne defended his friend Piers Morgan, who was facing racism allegations after his criticism of Meghan Markle.

"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 said.

After the segment, Osbourne both publicly apologized and then alleged that she had been "set up" by producers to be a "sacrificial lamb."

Read the full story on Vulture.

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