Sharon Osbourne Apologizes For Defending Piers Morgan: ‘I Do Not Condone Racism’
CBS Reading Time: 3 minutes
Sharon Osbourne has put out an apology after getting into a heated debate about racism with Sheryl Underwood, her co-host on The Talk. Sharon previously supported her good friend Piers Morgan’s comments made after Oprah Winfrey’s bombshell-filled interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Sharon Osbourne Got Defensive About Piers Morgan On ‘The Talk’
In Sharon’s lengthy apology, she addresses her support for Piers which she had first declared in a tweet. She wrote “@piersmorgan I am with you. I stand by you. People forget that you’re paid for your opinion and that you’re just speaking your truth.” This came after Piers walked off the set of Good Morning Britain after dismissing all of the claims Meghan made in the Oprah interview.
When Sharon was confronted by Sheryl for supporting Piers, she said 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 so that makes me a racist.”
SEE ALSO: DID MEGHAN MARKLE GET PIERS MORGAN FIRED OR DID HE WILLINGLY QUIT ‘GOOD MORNING BRITAIN’?
Sharon raised her voice at Sheryl on the set of the show and tried to make it as clear as possible that she did not want to be deemed racist. Sharon asked Sheryl to give her examples of racist things Piers has said. Sheryl explained that she did not want viewers at home to think they were attacking Sharon for being racist. Piers and Sharon have maintained a close friendship over the years after they both served as judges on ‘AGT.’
She Issued An Apology After Her Heated TV Debate
“After some reflection, after sitting with your comments and sitting with my heart, I would like to address the discussion on The Talk this past Wednesday,” Sharon says in her apology posted on social media. “I have always been embraced with so much love and support from the Black community and I have deep respect and love for the Black community. 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 and allowed my fear and horror of being accused of being racist take over,” she continues. “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 and will continue to learn, listen and do better.”
SEE ALSO: PIERS MORGAN QUITS ‘GMB’ AFTER GETTING BACKLASH FOR QUESTIONING MEGHAN MARKLE’S MENTAL HEALTH
“Please hear me when I say I do not condone racism, misogyny or bullying. I should have been more specific about that in my tweet,” she adds. “I will always support freedom of speech, but now I see how I unintentionally didn’t make that clear distinction. I hope we can collectively continue to learn from each other and from ourselves so we can all continue to pave the way for much-needed growth and change.”
Piers Morgan Has Responded To Sharon Osbourne’s Apology
Piers responded to Sharon’s apology to the black community on Twitter. “Sharon’s been shamed & bullied into apologizing for defending me against colleagues accusing me of racism because I don’t believe Meghan Markle’s bullsh*t. This is where we’ve reached. I demand an apology from those @TheTalkCBS bullies for their disgraceful slurs against ME” he wrote.
Piers has left Good Morning Britain for good. He is reportedly in talks with Simon Cowell about a new television project.
