In not-so-shocking news, thin-skinned TV journalist Piers Morgan has publicly announced his support of close friend Sharon Osbourne who stated she is exiting her co-hosted daytime show “The Talk.”
Osbourne decided to leave the show after an 11 year stint that made her a staple in the daytime talk show genre. Her exit comes on the heels of a firestorm that erupted when she defended Piers Morgan’s controversial comments about Meghan Markle following the bombshell Oprah interview.
Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, fired off some very unflattering accusations at the Royal Family, including racism. Piers Morgan accused Markle of lying, and he seemed to take personal offense to what he perceived as her “insulting” the “beloved” queen of England.
According to many, Morgan’s negative commentary about Markle had become an obsession ever since the duchess began to speak out about the Royal Family’s unfair treatment toward her. On the daytime talk show “Good Morning Britain,” Piers bashed Markle almost daily, prompting reactions from viewers who accused him of using racist and misogynistic language to attack the first black member of the Royal Family.
As Piers faced blowback for his post-Oprah interview comments, Sharon Osbourne insensitively interjected herself into the conversation, publicly declaring her support for Morgan.
. @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.
— Sharon Osbourne (@MrsSOsbourne) March 9, 2021
Osbourne’s co-hosts, namely Sheryl Underwood, challenged her on that position. They attempted to convey to Osbourne how problematic it was to side with a man who mocked Markle’s admissions of being suicidal and deeply depressed. Additionally, Morgan was dismissive of Markle being subject to vile racism in the Royal Family with their expressed concerns about her then-unborn baby’s possibly dark skin color.
The confrontation on “The Talk” lit up social media. Shortly thereafter, staff members and former co-hosts called out Osbourne’s own alleged racially insensitive and biased past comments. Former host Leah Remini accused Osbourne of referring to Asian former co-host Julie Chen as “Wonton” and “Slanty eyes.” Remini further claims Osbourne called out-lesbian former co-host Sarah Gilbert a “P*ssy licker.” – Yikes!
Osbourne denies all of it, but her relationship with co-hosts and the show seemed to grow more irreparable with each day. CBS announced they would conduct an internal investigation while putting the show on hiatus until they learned more about the accusations.
According to PageSix, on Friday, with the announcement of Osbourne’s departure from the show, CBS released the following statement:
“Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave ‘The Talk,'” a release from CBS read. “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,” the release continued. “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.”
Piers Morgan responded to Osbourne’s exit from the show in his regular self-aggrandized fashion by claiming he and Osbourne were the real victims here. He argues it’s about free speech, as he missed no opportunity to hurl another insult at Markle by stating, this media scandal has nothing to do with a “delusional duchess.”
“What’s happened to @MrsSOsbourne is an absolute disgrace that shames CBS. Bullied out of her job for defending me against an invented slur of racism because I don’t believe a liar. In tomorrow’s Mail on Sunday, I’ll tell MY truth about this woke cancel culture bulls*t.
As I tweeted directly to Piers Morgan on Twitter, this incident actually has nothing to do with “woke culture” or “cancel culture.” It’s about a new day of accountability.
https://twitter.com/COREYANDREW/status/1375904304704458755?s=20
Read more on this story at PageSix
This piece is an opinion piece by one Contributing Writer for Instinct Magazine and may not reflect the opinion of the magazine or other Contributing Writers.