Leah Remini: Sharon Osbourne called her ‘Talk’ Co-Hosts offensive comments

Actor Leah Remini and others have accused Sharon Osbourne of making racist and homophobic comments about her former co-hosts in “The Talk.”

Journalist Yashar Ali reported Tuesday that Osbourne has a long track record of insulting the race and sexual orientation of former “Talk” co-presenters like Julie Chen and Sara Gilbert.

Ali said multiple sources, including former co-host Remini, said Osbourne was referring to Chen, who is Chinese-American, as “Wonton” and “slanted eyes”, and to Gilbert, who is a lesbian, as a ‘pussy licker’ and ‘fish eater’.

Osbourne’s publicist Howard Bragman denied the allegations in the following statement to Ali:

The only thing worse than a disgruntled ex-employee is a disgruntled ex-talk show host.

For 11 years, Sharon has been kind, collegial and friendly with her hosts, as evidenced by throwing parties for them, inviting them to her home in the UK, and other friendly gestures too many to list.

Sharon is disappointed but unfazed and hardly surprised by the lies, the rearrangement of history and the bitterness emerging at this point.

She will survive this, as she always has and her heart will remain open and good as she refuses to let others put her down. She thanks her family, friends and fans for standing by and knowing her true nature.

Osbourne came under fire this week after defending TV personality Piers Morgan on her show for comments he made about Meghan Markle.

Things got heated after co-host Sheryl Underwood, who is Black, explained how Morgan’s comments dismiss the Duchess of Sussex’s account of her mental health struggles bordering on racism.

Osbourne later apologized to “someone of color” who insulted them and added that “there are very few things that hurt my heart more than racism, so feeling associated with that made me spin fast!”

CBS announced Monday that “The Talk” is taking a short break to investigate the Underwood-Osbourne exchange.

However, since that original exchange, former co-host Holly Robinson has also accused Peete Osbourne to say she was “too ghetto.” for the show.

Osbourne denied those allegations to Variety, saying, “That’s not in my vocabulary. I don’t speak like that. The only ghetto I know of is the Warsaw ghetto, and I think that’s the only time I’ve ever referred to such a thing. “

Ali noted that a January 2011 episode of “The Talk” showed Osbourne using the word “ghetto” to refer to Remini’s Brooklyn accent.

CBS did not comment to Ali about the allegations against Osbourne, but the network released a statement to Variety about the hiatus:

CBS is committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace in all our productions. We are also very aware of the important concerns and discussions that are taking place regarding events on ‘The Talk’. This includes a process of hearing all voices, investigating claims, and taking appropriate action as necessary. The show will extend its production hiatus until next Tuesday as we continue to review these issues.