Sharon Osbourne has been accused of “weaponising” her tears after emotionally defending Piers Morgan on The Talk.
Osbourne was among the celebrities to show support for the former Good Morning Britain host, who quit ITV’s daytime show on Tuesday (9 March) after making comments about Meghan Markle’s mental health.
“@piersmorgan I am with you. I stand by you,” Osbourne tweeted. “People forget that you’re paid for your opinion and that you’re just speaking your truth.”
Appearing on The Talk on Wednesday (10 March), Osbourne became defensive as she explained her support for Morgan to co-host Sheryl Underwood.
“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,” Osbourne said.
“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?”
Read more: Piers Morgan says he stands by criticism of Meghan Markle
Returning after an advert break, Osbourne tearfully asked Underwood in a raised voice: ‘I will ask you again Sheryl... and don’t try and cry because if anyone should be crying, it should be me. This is the situation, you tell me where you have heard him say racist things. Educate me.”
Underwood calmly replied that it wasn’t “exact words of racism” but “the implication and the reaction to it” and that she wasn’t trying to accuse Osbourne of being racist.
“I think it’s too late, I think that seed’s already sewn,” Osbourne said.
The clip was widely shared on social media, with Twitter users accusing the former X Factor judge of “gaslighting” her co-star.
“This is Sharon Osbourne, telling a black woman not to cry and demanding a definition of racism, as she sobs over Piers Morgan who walked off his job bc a mixed black coworker calmly challenged his fixation on Meghan Markle,” comedian Rae Sanni wrote.
“White women are something else. Your tears are weapons.”
“Sharon Osbourne is a perfect example of why it is futile to go out of your way to NOT call someone racist,” another tweet read.
“Go and educate yourself Sharon Osbourne and stop demanding that Black women educate you for free. What disgusting behaviour,” another commenter wrote.
Read more: Colbert predicts ‘a great morning, Britain’ after Piers Morgan exit
One Twitter user posted: “Behold Sharon Osbourne making it all about her, forcing the Black women around her to comfort her in her hour of victimhood.”
“Kudos to Elaine [Welteroth] and Sheryl for trying to lower the temperature,” another tweet read. “They should be the ones who are angry at the way Sharon Osbourne is speaking to them.”
The Independent has contacted Osbourne’s representatives for comment.
