This article contains discussion of suicidal ideation, substance abuse, and addiction.
Sharon Osbourne has recalled how she coped after finding out that her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, was having an affair.
For some context, Sharon, 71, and Ozzy, 75, tied the knot back in 1982. Together, they share three kids: Aimée, Kelly, and Jack, who are 40, 39, and 38, respectively.
Ozzy has faced reports of infidelity numerous times over the years — most notably in 2016, when news broke that he’d been having a four-year affair with a hairstylist. This led to him and Sharon briefly separating.
A few months later, Ozzy entered rehab for sex addiction. By the end of the summer in 2016, he and Sharon had reconciled things, and they went on to renew their vows in May 2017.
Later in 2017, Sharon opened up about Ozzy’s affair during a vulnerable interview with the Telegraph. She shared, “There wasn’t just one woman; there were six of them... He had women in different countries. Basically, if you’re a woman giving Ozzy either a back rub or a trolley of food, God help you.”
Recalling the moment she found out about the affair, Sharon went on, “We were sitting on the couch watching the telly. Ozzy on one couch and me on the other, and suddenly, he sends me this email. ‘Why did you send me this stupid email?’ I asked, and when Ozzy told me that he hadn’t sent me anything, I grabbed his phone and said, ‘Look!’ And of course, it was a message meant for one of his bloody women.”
The following year, Sharon opened up further about the moment she learned of Ozzy’s affair, revealing that she gave him extra sleeping pills in order to make him confess to his infidelity.
“I was a broken woman. He sent me an email that was meant for one of his women. Then he took his sleeping pills. I put an extra two in his drink and asked him everything, and everything came out,” she told the Sun.
“He would have never told me the truth, ever. He was ashamed, afraid. I knew how long. I knew who it was,” she continued.
Now reflecting on this period of her life again, Sharon revealed that she attempted suicide after finding out about Ozzy’s affair.
Speaking about the subject during her one-woman show, Sharon Osbourne: Cut the Crap, in London on Sunday night, Sharon purportedly said, “He always, always had groupies, and I was so used to that. But when he knows the name of the person, where they live and where they work […] it is a whole different thing as you are emotionally invested.”
“I took, I don’t know how many pills,” she said, noting that she felt her kids would be able to “take care of themselves” as they were “older” at the time.
“I took an overdose and locked myself in the bedroom,” Sharon revealed. “The maid tried to come in to clean the room and saw me.”
Dial 988 in the US to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The Trevor Project, which provides help and suicide-prevention resources for LGBTQ youth, is 1-866-488-7386. Find other international suicide helplines at Befrienders Worldwide (befrienders.org).