Sharon Osbourne, a television host who faced criticism for defending controversial comments by British journalist Piers Morgan about Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, decided to leave “The Talk”, the US daytime talk show where she worked for more than a decade, CBS said on Friday.
Mrs. Osbourne is married to musician Ozzy Osbourne and started her television career on “The Osbournes”, the Emmy-winning reality show about their family. She faced criticism this month for publicly defending Morgan, after he questioned an account Meghan gave Oprah Winfrey about life in the British royal family.
In the interview, Meghan told Mrs. Winfrey that members of the royal family discouraged her from seeking treatment after she confided to them that she had suicidal thoughts.
Morgan later said on “Good Morning Britain”, a program he co-organized, that he did not believe Meghan’s account. When a colleague scolded him for “destroying” Meghan, he left the set furious and left the show the next day.
That week, Mrs. Osbourne, 68, said on Twitter that she supported Mr. Morgan, a former tabloid editor and CNN host who is a friend of hers.
“People forget that you get paid for your opinion and that you’re just telling your truth,” she wrote.
During a subsequent episode of “The Talk” that aired on March 10, co-host Sheryl Underwood asked Osbourne about her defense of Morgan.
“What would you say to people who say that while you are with your friend, it looks like you give validation or safe haven to something he said is racist, even if you don’t agree?” Asked Mrs Underwood.
Ms. Osbourne said she felt like she was “about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend that many people consider racist”.
“How can I be racist with someone?” she asked during an especially tense moment in the exchange. “How can I be racist about anyone or anything in my life?”
Mrs. Osbourne later posted a statement on Twitter, in which she apologized to “anyone of color that I offended and / or anyone who feels confused or disappointed by what I said”. She said she “panicked, felt surprised, became defensive and allowed my fear and horror of being accused of being racist” to take control.
“Please listen to me when I say that I do not tolerate racism, misogyny or intimidation,” she added. “I should have been more specific about that in my tweet” about Mr. Morgan.
On Friday, CBS said in a statement that “Sharon Osbourne has decided to leave ‘The Talk'”. He added that his “behavior towards his co-hosts during the March 10 episode does not align with our values of a respectful workplace”.
An Osbourne spokesman, Howard Bragman, said in an e-mail that he had no comment on his departure from the program.
“The Talk” has been on a hiatus since mid-March. CBS said on Friday that the program will resume showing original episodes on April 12. She also said she found no evidence that the network’s executives “orchestrated the discussion or surprised any of the presenters.”
But the network said it was responsible for what happened during the March 10 broadcast because Osbourne and his co-hosts “were not properly prepared by the team for a complex and delicate discussion involving race”.