Monty Brinton/CBS @2021 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.(LOS ANGELES) — With CBS extending The Talk‘s hiatus to further “investigate” the explosive segment between Sharon Osbourne and co-host Sheryl Underwood regarding Piers Morgan, Osbourne spoke to Entertainment Tonight Tuesday about the situation.
Osbourne blamed the fallout from the segment on the network, claiming she was deliberately ambushed by Underwood at the direction of CBS executives, because CBS produced the Oprah Winfrey interview with Megan Markle and Prince Harry.
Morgan quit Good Morning Britain after an on-air flap in which he dismissed Markle’s comments during the Oprah chat as unbelievable. Afterward on The Talk, Sharon said of Morgan, “just because he doesn’t like her doesn’t make him racist.” She later apologized on Twitter.
Osbourne recalled to ET‘s Kevin Frazier, “Sheryl…asks me this question and….she was reading it off a card. It wasn’t on my cards. And then [co-host] Elaine [Welteroth]’s reading her questions and I’m like, ‘I’ve been set up.’ They’re setting me up…”
That said, Sharon said she was sorry for how the situation played out. “I got too personal with Sheryl. I should’ve never said ‘stop her tears.’ She was hurting as I was hurting.”
She added, “I should never have dismissed her feelings on national TV, ever. But…I have to own it.”
Osbourne said she’s since reached out to Underwood, but that she hasn’t responded. “I can understand,” she said. “Sheryl needs her time.”
As for her future with The Talk, Sharon said, “…I don’t know whether I even want to go back. … I don’t know whether I’m wanted there.”
The conversation with ET came as former co-host Leah Remini leveled new accusations against Osbourne, claiming she used gay slurs regarding former co-host Sara Gilbert’s sexuality, and made bigoted comments about former co-host Julie Chen, who is Asian.
By Stephen Iervolino
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