“The View” alum Sherri Shepherd recently expressed her opinions on the fallout between “The Talk” co-hosts Sheryl Underwood and Sharon Osbourne.
Earlier this month, the pair engaged in a heated debate regarding Osbourne’s defense of Piers Morgan during their March 10 episode of the daytime talk show. The discussion snowballed into a conversation on race, and soon afterward the show went on hiatus pending an investigation into Osbourne’s behavior on set.
During a recent interview with Yahoo Entertainment, Shepherd slammed Osbourne’s response towards her co-star. “It crosses a line when you’re a grownup, and somebody tells you what you can and cannot do emotionally,” the actress said about Osbourne telling Underwood, “You are not allowed to cry,” as she explained the topic of race to her.
Shepherd continued, “Um, I’m grown. I’m raising children. This is a job for me, the way it is for you. So how dare you tell me how I can act? I think that was definitely crossing the line. I would expect an apology to be forthcoming because you’re two grown women.”
Speaking on her own tenure on “The View,” which she co-hosted from 2007 to 2014, the “Beauty Shop” actress said they never experienced an incident such as the one that took place on the CBS program “because we had a great deal of respect for each other.” She added, “That’s a respect thing… If we would get into spats, an apology came right away because we cared about each other.” Shepherd starred alongside several co-hosts during her time on the series, including Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar.
As previously reported, CBS announced that “The Talk” would go on a brief hiatus, following an investigation into claims that Osbourne made racially insensitive remarks to past co-hosts. A few days after making that announcement, CBS later revealed that they would extend the break following a growing number of new accusations against Osbourne. Those claims included calling former co-host Julie Chen, who is Chinese-American, a “Wonton,” and Holly Robinson Peete “ghetto.”
The British co-host has since apologized for her behavior during her exchange with Underwood but maintained that the other allegations are false. She also believes that she was “set up” by the network.
Regarding her relationship with Underwood, Osbourne said she reached out to the actress but hasn’t heard back from her. Meanwhile, during the March 19 episode of her podcast, “The World According to Sheryl,” the comedian revealed she “got a good night’s sleep” following the incident. “I slept well because I didn’t do anything to anybody, and I was a good friend,” she continued. “As soon as the yelling and the screaming happened, it was already forgiven and over. I don’t know what’s in Sharon’s heart. I don’t know what she’s feeling. The only feelings I can control… are my own.”
