Sharon Osbourne EXITS 'The Talk' On CBS

Sharon Osbourne

Sharon Osbourne has exited “The Talk” after an internal review over on-air comments about racism and allegations of racially insensitive behavior behind-the-scenes, The Wrap reports.

“The events of the March 10 broadcast were upsetting to everyone involved, including the audience watching at home,” CBS said Friday in a statement. “As part of our review, we concluded that Sharon’s behavior toward her co-hosts during the March 10 episode did not align with our values for a respectful workplace. We also did not find any evidence that CBS executives orchestrated the discussion or blindsided any of the hosts.”

“At the same time, we acknowledge the Network and Studio teams, as well as the showrunners, are accountable for what happened during that broadcast as it was clear the co-hosts were not properly prepared by the staff for a complex and sensitive discussion involving race,” the statement continued.

The network said it would coordinate “workshops, listening sessions and training about equity, inclusion and cultural awareness” for the hosts and crew during the show’s ongoing hiatus. “The Talk” will resume live episodes on Monday, April 12.

The controversy surrounding Osbourne kicked off after the March 10 episode, in which the host came to the defense of longtime friend Piers Morgan after he was criticized for making disparaging comments about Meghan Markle. Some critics, including Osbourne’s co-host Sheryl Underwood, said Morgan’s words where racially motivated (Markle, whose mom is Black, is biracial), leading to an on-air meltdown in which Osbourne said she felt like she was “about to be put in the electric chair” for having a racist friend.

Osbourne has apologized for the episode, writing in a lengthy statement on Twitter that she “panicked, felt blindsided, got defensive & allowed my fear & horror of being accused of being racist take over.”

However, she has taken a more combative stance in subsequent interviews, most recently blaming the show’s producers for intentionally blindsiding her with the segment about Morgan, calling it “the biggest set up ever” in an interview with ET.

Several of Osbourne’s former co-hosts have since spoken out about her on-set behavior, including the alleged use of racial and homophobic slurs and working behind the scenes to sow discord among the hosts.