13h13 PDT 03/16/2021
in
Mikey O’Connell
After a controversial defense by friend Piers Morgan during a conversation about racism, Osbourne faces charges of other crimes on set.
The conversation will remain silent for another week.
After dark on Monday and Tuesday, the CBS panel series is extending its brief hiatus of live shows until Tuesday, March 23, while the network continues a review stemming from last Wednesday’s heated debate between Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood. Initially planning to return to live episodes on Wednesday, March 17, the show will go dark as Osbourne’s defense of Piers Morgan and comments on racism – particularly his confrontation with his black colleague Underwood – go through an internal microscope.
A CBS spokesman sent The Hollywood Reporter the following comment on the extended hiatus on Tuesday: “CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful work environment in all of our productions. We are also very attentive to the important concerns expressed and the discussions that take place in relation to the events in progress. The conversation. This includes a process in which all voices are heard, complaints are investigated and appropriate actions are taken when necessary. The program will extend its production hiatus until next Tuesday, while we continue to review these issues. “
Fallout for Osbourne (and the show) was quick after the tearful defense of longtime speaker of British friend and colleague, Morgan, who left the set of (and ended up leaving) ITV’s Good morning Great Britain – which he co-hosted since 2015 – after his scathing criticism of Meghan Markle was considered by many to be racist. At one point in his defense of Morgan, Osbourne went on the attack and demanded that Underwood tell him what Morgan had done wrong. “Educate me, tell me when I’ve heard you say racist things,” said Osbourne. “I feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend, who many people think is a racist, so does that make me a racist?”
Since then, the scrutiny has only increased. Original cast member Holly Robinson Peete tweeted that Osbourne had made racist comments about her before her resignation, a fact that Osbourne contested in your own Twitter post. On Tuesday, more forcefully, journalist Yashar Ali posted a Substack detailing more statements about Osbourne’s racist language on the set of The conversation – including comments from the original speaker Leah Remini.
Osbourne is the only member of the original cast of The conversation to reach the current 11th season. Peete and Remini left after the first season. Series creator Sara Gilbert left at the end of the ninth season, and Julie Chen left during the eighth – when her husband and former CBS boss Les Moonves saw his career implode amid various allegations of sexual misconduct.
Osbourne’s new publicist, Howard Bragman, issued the following statement on Tuesday: “The only thing worse than a dissatisfied former employee is a dissatisfied former talk show host. For 11 years, Sharon has been kind, collegial and friendly to his hosts, as evidenced by giving them parties, inviting them to his UK home and other kindly gestures to name. Sharon is disappointed, but unperturbed and hardly surprised by the lies, the reformulation of the story and the bitterness that arises at this moment. She will survive this, as always, and her heart will remain open and good because she refuses to allow others to overthrow her. She thanks her family, friends and fans for supporting her and getting to know her true nature. “