US chat show The Talk has been taken off air for two days following a row between Sharon Osbourne and one of her co-hosts about Piers Morgan.
Osbourne was one of the first people to support Morgan in his criticism of the Duchess of Sussex.
That led to a dispute with Sheryl Underwood, who claimed that Osbourne “confirmed” his “racist” views.
Obsourne’s Statement
The TV network CBS has launched an internal investigation, and removed the show on Monday and Tuesday.
Osbourne apologized for her part in the altercation, saying she was “panicked, felt blindsided [and] got defensive” when she heard she was accused of racism in defending Morgan.
Meanwhile, he has demanded an apology from the show for “their disgraceful slurs”.
What Happened?
The incident followed Morgan’s departure from Good Morning Britain after he “did not believe a word” about what Meghan told Oprah Winfrey in their recent interview.
In Wednesday’s episode of The Talk, Osbourne challenged Underwood: “Tell me when you have heard him say racist things. Educate me.”
She added: “I feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is racist, so that makes me a racist.
“For me at 68 years of age to have to turn around and say, ‘I ain’t racist’, what’s it got to do with me? How can I be racist about anybody or anything in my life?”
Growing up in frustration, her vocab grew bad and Underwood took the program on a commercial break.
Apology
In a statement Friday, Osbourne apologized “anyone of colour that I offended and/or to anyone that feels confused, or let down by what I said”. She added: “I panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive and allowed my fear and horror of being accused of being racist take over.”
“Sharon’s been shamed and bullied into apologising for defending me against colleagues accusing me of racism because I don’t believe Meghan Markle,” he tweeted.
“I demand an apology from those @TheTalkCBS bullies for their disgraceful slurs against ME.”
Internal Investigation
In a statement announcing its investigation, CBS said on Friday: “We are committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workforce. All issues related to Wednesday’s episode of The Talk are currently being considered internally.”
Meanwhile, Osbourne has denied allegations that she described former The Talk presenter Holly Robinson Peete as a
“too ghetto”, which Robinson Peete suggested led to her departure from the show in 2011.
“I’m old enough to remember when Sharon complained that I was too “ghetto” for #theTalk …then I was gone,” she wrote on Twitter.
Osbourne responded that she has “never had the ability/authority to get anyone fired from The Talk” and never said her former colleague was “too ghetto”.
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