'The Talk' Hiatus Extended

CBS extended The Talk’s unplanned hiatus, according to reports. The show is investigating allegations made against co-host Sharon Osbourne, who has been accused of racist behavior by former co-hosts. Those allegations emerged after a controversy surrounding her defense of Piers Morgan, who has been deemed a racist for his treatment of Meghan Markle.

The show was set to return March 22, but has been pushed another week. “Everyone is in limbo and wants this to be over,” said a spokesperson for the network. “There’s still no clear understanding of what the outcome is going to be. They have to thoroughly look into all of this stuff. There’s a lot of new leadership and they don’t want to repeat the days of Les Moonves where things were often ignored and let go. They’re looking into all of the allegations.”

Osbourne has denied claims she called previous co-host Julie Chen a “wonton” or dubbing Holly Robinson-Peete as “too ghetto” for the show. She did apologize for defending Morgan’s rant about Meghan’s mental health, which sparked an argument between her and co-host Sheryl Underwood.

“While you are standing by your friend, it appears that you are giving validation or safe haven to something that he has uttered that is racist,” Underwood said. Among his most incendiary remarks, Morgan said he did not believe Markle’s suicidal thoughts.

“I feel like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is racist, so that makes me a racist,” Osbourne said.

The 68-year-old has reportedly had to increase security measures and hire new guards because of threat to her and her family’s safety.