(1952-)

Who Is Sharon Osbourne?

Sharon Osbourne, and the rest of her family, gained major media attention after appearing on the MTV reality series The Osbournes in 2002. By appearing on the show with her family, Sharon Osbourne cemented her status as a caring and appealing mother and wife who was more than just Mrs. Osbourne. After the end of the show, she has gone on to manage the career of her daughter, Kelly Osbourne, and judge the reality competition America's Got Talent from 2007 to 2012 as well as Britain's The X Factor. Since 2010, Osbourne's been a panelist on the daytime talk show, The Talk.

Early Life

Osbourne was born Sharon Rachel Levy on October 9, 1952, in London, England. The daughter of music manager and concert producer Don Arden, Sharon grew up surrounded by rock musicians. As a teenager, she went to work for her father as a receptionist and later moved up in the business, working in promotions. Her life took a new direction not long after her father began managing the heavy metal group Black Sabbath in 1976.

The band's lead singer, Ozzy Osbourne, had a dark, demonic persona and was known for his wild antics on and off stage. In fact, he was kicked out of the group for his substance abuse problems in 1979. At that time, Sharon took him on as a client and became his manager. This move caused a rift between her and her father — one that took decades to mend.

Relationship With Ozzy

Sharon fell in love with Ozzy, but they experienced troubles in their early days, struggling with substance abuse and engaging in intense fights. The two were married on July 4, 1982, but their darkest day was around the corner. In 1989, Ozzy was arrested after trying to strangle Sharon while he was under the influence of illicit substances. He spent several months in a mental health facility after the incident. The couple have three children together, Aimee (b. 1983), Kelly (b. 1984) and Jack (b. 1985).

Despite their personal problems, the Osbournes were a successful business team. Sharon helped launch and maintain Ozzy's solo career, during which he sold millions of records. She also managed other rock acts, including her daughter Kelly, the Smashing Pumpkins and Lita Ford. As a concert producer, Sharon also created the hugely successful Ozzfest, a touring concert festival featuring a variety of new and established heavy metal bands.

TV Shows

'The Osbournes'

Sharon negotiated a deal with the MTV cable network for a reality series featuring her family. Like a twisted, curse-filled version of the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, The Osbournes debuted in the spring of 2002. The show captivated audiences, who were intrigued by shock-rocker Ozzy's softer side as a doting — if somewhat spacey — father. Fans also loved Sharon's blunt and direct parenting style, and couldn't help but watch the two youngest Osbourne children as they battled their way through their sibling rivalries. Their eldest daughter, Aimee, declined to participate in the series, which lasted four seasons.

Jack Osbourne, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne, and Kelly Osbourne

Photo: J. Merritt/Film Magic

"The Osbournes"

'The Sharon Osbourne Show,' 'The X Factor'

Osbourne also continued to further her television career by hosting her own daytime talk show. The Sharon Osbourne Show lasted from 2003 to 2004 in the United States and was later revived in Great Britain. Over the next few years, Osbourne raised her public profile, becoming a judge on the British talent show The X Factor (2004-07) and writing the incredibly candid, bestselling book Extreme: My Autobiography (2006).

'America's Got Talent'

Osbourne has again found success as a reality television personality. From 2007-2012, she was a judge on America's Got Talent, and was on the 2010 season of The Celebrity Apprentice, battling against the likes of Joan Rivers, Cyndi Lauper and Bret Michaels for a chance to win money for charity. She released her debut novel, Revenge, which hit bookstores in England that same year.

'The Talk,' 'The X Factor'

Also in 2010, Osbourne made her return to American daytime television as a co-host of The Talk. Osbourne exited the show in 2021 after misconduct and racist allegations.

She also reprised her role as judge/mentor on The X Factor in 2013 and 2016.

Cancer Diagnosis

Before filming started on the second season of The Osbournes, Sharon discovered that she had colon cancer. Rather than cancel the show, however, Sharon allowed cameras to film her treatment. Osbourne had surgery and eventually entered remission. After her recovery, she established the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Foundation to help others battling the disease. The show continued to follow the highs and lows of the outlandish-but-loving Osbourne family until 2005. As a producer on the show, Sharon received two Emmy Award nominations.

Marriage Troubles

In May 2016, Sharon and Ozzy announced their plans to divorce after 33 years of marriage. It was reported that the split came after Sharon learned of Ozzy's alleged affair with a celebrity hairstylist. However, two months later the couple that had endured so many ups and downs together decided to make their relationship work. On July 25th, Sharon announced their reconciliation on her show The Talk. "It's been very hard... He's very embarrassed and ashamed about his conduct," she said. "I forgive, [but] it's going to take a long time to trust. But you know, we've been together for 36 years, 34 of marriage, and it's more than half of my life and I just can't think of my life without him... even though he is a dog!”

Ozzy, appearing on Good Morning America with their son Jack, also said the marriage was not over. “It’s just a bump in the road,” he said. "It's back on track again.”

QUICK FACTS

Name: Sharon Osbourne
Birth Year: 1952
Birth date: October 9, 1952
Birth City: London
Birth Country: England
Gender: Female
Best Known For: Sharon Osbourne is the wife of legendary rock star Ozzy Osbourne and a television personality who's been featured on several programs, including 'The Osbournes' and 'The Talk.'
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