After she parted ways with The Talk following that ugly on-air exchange with former co-host Sheryl Underwood regarding Piers Morgan and race, Sharon Osbourne is reportedly getting a hefty settlement.
One source tells Page Six, “Sharon is walking away with a $5 to $10 million minimum payout and was able to spin that it was her decision [to leave The Talk],” and another spy adds that Osbourne wasn’t bound by a non-disclosure agreement on her way out the door.
“Sharon will talk when she is ready. She still wants to give her side of the story. She has been on that show for 11 years and knows all the secrets,” the source explained.
Osbourne blamed the fallout from the segment on the network, claiming she was deliberately ambushed by Underwood at the direction of CBS executives, because CBS produced the Oprah Winfrey interview with Megan Markle and Prince Harry, which Morgan controversially criticized on-air before quitting Good Morning Britain.
In discussing the matter on The Talk, Sharon said of Morgan’s comments that he didn’t believe Markle, “just because he doesn’t like her doesn’t make him racist.” She later apologized on Twitter.
However, as CBS put the show on hiatus to investigate the on-air fireworks, former co-host Leah Remini leveled new accusations against Osbourne, claiming she used gay slurs regarding former co-host Sara Gilbert‘s sexuality, and made bigoted comments about former co-host Julie Chen, who is Asian.
Remini‘s former co-host, Holly Robinson Peete, also added racial accusations.
In a statement released Friday, CBS announced Osbourne “decided” to leave The Talk, adding that its investigation “concluded that Sharon’s behavior toward her co-hosts…did not align with our values for a respectful workplace.” The network also denied Osbourne’s “ambush” claims.