Oh Snap! CBS Denies Sharon Osbourne Gets $10 Million Payout After Leaving 'The Talk'
Sharon Osbourne on "The Talk"
It looks like Sharon Osbourne won't be receiving a massive payout after exiting "The Talk." CBS is hitting back at rumors that the original co-host is owed a whopping $10 million after walking away following the controversial comments she made about race on the show earlier this month.
Page Six first reported the eight-figure payout news.
"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 show],” a source reportedly told the outlet. Hours later, the network shut down those reports.
"False, inaccurate or untrue. Take your pick," a CBS spokesperson hit back, denying the claims to Metro.co.uk.
Sheryl Underwood and Sharon Osbourne on the red carpet
The Controversial Comments
CBS announced last week that Sharon Osbourne was exiting the show following an internal investigation sparked by her on-air comments. On the March 10 episode, the British-born television personality got into an intense exchange with her "Talk" co-star Sheryl Underwood. The heated argument started when Sharon Osbourne fiercely defended her friend Piers Morgan.
The CNN host caused controversy when he quit his show after abruptly walking off during a broadcast. Piers Morgan took offense when his co-host Alex Beresford slammed him for the critical comments he made about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry following their sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey.
While many praised Beresford for his response, Sharon Osbourne wasn't having it.
Sharon Osbourne arriving to 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert'
“I feel even like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is a racist, so that makes me a racist,” Sharon Osbourne said on "The Talk." Piers Morgan's comments included questioning the validity of Meghan Markle's claim that she wanted to take her own life.
Sharon Osbourne later admitted she took it too far when she “had a go” at Sheryl Underwood over the incident. One day later, she apologized for her actions but it was too late.
Both viewers and former "Talk" co-hosts made it clear that she had to go. CBS immediately began an internal investigation.
'The Talk' cast at 2019 Daytime Emmys
Announcing Sharon Osbourne's exit following the investigation, the network said that her “behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace."
"The Talk" went on hiatus after the heated exchange and is scheduled to return without Sharon Osbourne on April 12.