The Talk has extended its hiatus after new allegations of racism have been raised against Sharon Osbourne. CBS opened an investigation of Osbourne after the host got into a heated argument on The Talk with co-host Sheryl Underwood. After defending comments that Piers Morgan made involving Meghan Markle’s mental health, Osbourne insisted that Underwood explain to her what made Morgan’s comments racist, followed by Osbourne saying, “Don’t try to cry, because if anyone should be crying, it should be me.”
Osbourne posted an apology over Twitter on Friday, March 12, saying she “got defensive and allowed my fear and horror of being accused of being racist take over.” Piers Morgan subsequently retweeted the post, demanding his own apology from CBS as well. Morgan came under fire after stating on Good Morning Britain that he didn’t believe “a word she said,” in reference to Markle’s statements concerning accusations of racism and mistreatment by the British royal family during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. He then walked off the set after being criticized by a fellow correspondent for his frequent attacks on Markle, resulting in his permanent exit from the show.
Now, according to TV Line, the hiatus that was planned to end on Wednesday has been extended due to new allegations against Osbourne. Several sources, including former co-host, Leah Remini, have spoken out about the toxic workplace that Osbourne contributed to on The Talk. Sources claim that Osbourne frequently referred to her other former co-host, Julie Chen, by Asian slurs and used lesbian slurs when referencing former co-host, Sara Gilbert. In response to these allegations, Osbourne’s publicist, Howard Bragman, issued a statement stating:
The only thing worse than a disgruntled former employee is a disgruntled former talk show host. For 11 years Sharon has been kind, collegial and friendly with her hosts as evidenced by throwing them parties, inviting them to her home in the UK and other gestures of kindness too many to name. Sharon is disappointed but unfazed and hardly surprised by the lies, the recasting of history and the bitterness coming out at this moment.
CBS chose to extend The Talk’s regularly planned hiatus in order to decide if further actions need to be taken. The show had a previously planned hiatus to accommodate the NCAA Tournament, and CBS has stated that they plan on extending the hiatus to next Tuesday while reviewing the case. Since the March 10 broadcast, Sharon has issued apologies over her handling of the situation with Underwood but has come out on the defensive over the newest slate of allegations, refusing to take responsibility for what sources have claimed about her behavior on the set of The Talk. During the now infamous episode, Underwood questioned why Osbourne would support someone who is “racist in his stance against Meghan Markle,” to which Osbourne responded, “I feel like I am about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend that many people think is racist, so that makes me a racist.”
While Sharon Osbourne has always been known for her harsh tongue, many feel that she went too far when defending Morgan. Although Osbourne denies the allegations, it is refreshing to see this step being taken to search for truth and have the claims examined further, rather than sweeping them under the rug like too many instances in the past. It will be interesting to see what comes out at the end of CBS’ investigation, and what the future of The Talk will look like.
Source: TV Line
Originally from https://screenrant.com/talk-show-hiatus-sharon-osbourne-racism-allegation-new/