Entertainment
Sharon Osbourne denies claim she called Holly Robinson Peete ‘too ghetto’ for The Talk: ‘It’s an absolute lie’
Sharon Osbourne has denied a claim made by former co-host of The Talk Holly Robinson Peete that she called her ‘too ghetto’ for the CBS talk show, saying it is ‘not a term I use’.
Earlier this week, Sharon, 68, got into a fierce row about racism on The Talk with Sheryl Underwood, 57, with the former X Factor judge coming to Piers Morgan’s defence after the ex-Good Morning Britain presenter criticised Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Oprah Winfrey interview.
On Friday, Holly, 56, who appeared on the first season of The Talk between 2010 and 2011, tweeted about her time on the programme with Sharon, stating: ‘I’m old enough to remember when Sharon complained that I was too “ghetto” for #theTalk… then I was gone.
‘I bring this up now bc I was mortified watching the disrespectful condescending tone she took w/her co host who remained calm & respectful because… she HAD to.’
While Sharon’s representative initially declined to comment on the allegation, the TV personality has since addressed the claim in an interview.
Speaking to Variety, Sharon said: ‘It’s an absolute lie – a 110% lie.’
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She added: ‘I cannot have anyone fired… And that is a not a term I use. That’s not in my vocabulary. I don’t speak like that.
‘The only ghetto I know is the Warsaw Ghetto and I think that’s the only time I’ve ever referred to something like that.’
In a follow-up tweet, Holly added that she ‘loved’ being on The Talk, describing the show as ‘a natural fit for me’.
‘I was in my element being let go was a tough experience… but sometimes awesome gifts come in humiliating packages…’ she wrote, adding that she misses working with actor Leah Remini as they had ‘so much chemistry’.
It was recently announced that an internal review has been launched into Sharon and Sheryl’s heated exchange on The Talk.
While Sharon issued an apology on social media – in which she said: ‘To anyone of colour that I offended and/or to anyone that feels confused or let down by what I said, I am truly sorry’ – she added to Variety that she felt ‘blindsided’ by CBS over the discussion on Piers.
Metro.co.uk has contacted CBS for comment on Holly’s claim and Sharon’s interview statements.
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