EXCLUSIVE: Ozzy Osbourne Died With This One Huge Regret Over How He Treated Long-Suffering 'Battered Wife' Sharon
Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne's marriage suffered a dark night that almost changed everything.
July 31 2025, Published 4:30 p.m. ET
Ozzy Osbourne once described the moment he realized he had nearly killed Sharon Osbourne as "like a f------ hammer between the eyes."
And RadarOnline.com can reveal the rock icon, who died on July 22 at the age of 76, carried the weight of that night for the rest of his life.
The incident occurred in 1989, during one of the darkest chapters of their volatile but enduring marriage.
Ozzy, then in the grip of a week-long drug and alcohol binge, attempted to strangle his wife at their family home while their three children – Aimee, Kelly, and Jack – slept in the next room.
Ozzy Was Haunted Over Incident
Ozzy attacked his wife during a week-long drug and alcohol binge.
He awoke the next day in a police cell in Amersham, England, with no memory of what had happened. It was only when an officer informed him he was being charged with attempted murder that the reality began to sink in.
The wildman said: "He says, 'I'm not joking.' It was like a f------ hammer between the eyes."
"This incident is what haunted Ozzy the most, right to his grave," a source told RadarOnline.com.
"He never forgave himself, even though Sharon did, and hated that she was a battered wife for a time. He was at heart a really sweet, loving family man, and he hated he made this mistake."
The Rocker Landed In Rehab
Sharon forgave Ozzy after his violent outburst but once considered divorce to protect their kids.
Ozzy and Sharon met in 1970 and married a decade later, forging one of the most famous – and chaotic – unions in music history.
As Ozzy's fame grew, so did his dependence on drugs and alcohol. His erratic behavior and frequent blackouts left Sharon, now 71, in an almost constant state of anxiety.
In the 2020 documentary Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, she recalled: "Ozzy was in a bad way physically, you know, drunk every day. I just couldn't take it."
Despite multiple rehab stints – including a stay at the Betty Ford Clinic in 1984 following Kelly's birth – Ozzy's sobriety rarely lasted. According to Sharon, after one treatment, he remained clean for "about 45 minutes."
Their relationship continued to deteriorate under the strain, culminating in the night Ozzy, then 40, turned violent.
Ozzy carried guilt for nearly killing Sharon during a drug-fueled breakdown in 1989.
Sharon remembered the moment vividly. "God only knows what combination he was on, or whatever it was... but it frightened the s--- out of me," she said.
He walked into the room where Sharon was reading and said: "We've come to a decision that you've got to die," before pinning her to the floor. She managed to activate a panic button, and police arrived quickly.
Sharon later dropped the charges, but a judge ordered Ozzy to undergo six months of medical detention. During that time, Sharon seriously considered divorce.
"What is going to be the best for my kids? What is gonna be the best for me?" she said. But in the end, she chose to stand by him.
Marriage On The Rocks?
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On Tuesday, July 22, his family announced his death.
In 2013, rumors circulated the couple's marriage was on the brink once again.
Ozzy addressed the speculation directly, writing on Facebook: "For the last year and a half, I have been drinking and taking drugs. I was in a very dark place and was an a------ to the people I love most, my family. However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober."
Three years later, the couple briefly split after Sharon suspected an affair. Osbourne called it a "bump in the road" and insisted they were committed to working through their issues.
Sharon forgave him publicly on The Talk, saying: "I forgive. It's going to take a long time to trust, but we've been together 36 years... I just can't think of my life without him."
They renewed their vows in Las Vegas on Mother's Day 2017.
In July 2022, Sharon posted a tribute on Instagram to her husband, who died aged 76 last week after a brutal Parkinson's battle: "Over 52 years we have been friends, lovers, husband and wife, grandparents and soulmates. Always at each other's side. I love you, Ozzy."
