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The Talk returned to CBS on Monday after a month-long hiatus pending an investigation into Sharon Osbourne. Sheryl Underwood addressed the painful all-too-common incident with Sharon in which a white woman who is being called out for doing racist sh*t gaslights, disrespects, and uses her white tears to avoid being confronted. Sharon was unable to be humble or to learn from her behavior which led to her being forced to leave The Talk. On Monday’s show, Sheryl and Elaine Welteroth explained why they felt they had to stay calm throughout that episode. They also said that Sharon was not blindsided as she has claimed. Sharon never attempted to call Sheryl to apologize and Sheryl felt it would be inappropriate to text Sharon back during the investigation. Below are some details from the episode via People:
The broadcast opened with a message from Underwood, 57, recorded backstage. “It’s time for an episode of The Talk that will be unlike any other we’ve had before,” she said. “As you may know, during our break, Sharon decided to leave The Talk. We need to process the events of that day and what happened since, so we can get to the healing.”
“Over the next hour, we will honestly discuss what occurred and explore some of our feelings. And we’ll also show you how anyone can become more comfortable discussing important issues and having difficult conversations,” she continued. “By the end of the hour, we want everyone to feel empowered and ready to move forward.”
Asked to reflect on the difficult conversation she had with Osbourne a month ago, Underwood said she hadn’t wanted “to escalate things” in the moment.
“I thought I was having a conversation with a friend, but also I knew I had to be an example,” she said, noting that she “didn’t want to be perceived as the angry Black woman.”
“I wanted to remain calm and remain focused, and it’s difficult to go back to that day because I just feel the trauma,” she said, going on to say she felt “trapped” during the conversation, during which Osbourne asked Underwood to “educate” her and warned her not to cry.
Welteroth, who was present during the exchange in question, also shared her thoughts. “When you go back and watch what happened in that episode, you will see two Black women walking the same tightrope that Black women are walking every single day in the workplace,” she said.
“We knew that we had to stay composed in that situation, even in the face of someone who was A, not listening, and B, who went off the rails into disrespect,” she continued.
Both women also took a moment to address the “false accusations” that have been lobbed against them, framing them as having “attacked a woman on air” as “part of some kind of conspiracy.” (Osbourne previously claimed CBS executives set up the conversation and “blindsided” her.)
“That is absolutely categorically false. And I think it’s really important that people hear that,” said Welteroth, 34.
Let’s face it, Sharon also picked a fight with as many Black women as possible at CBS as she was crashing to ground. Coming after Gayle King then Sheryl Underwood again proved that Sharon is indeed racist. Sharon tried it but no one was buying it. Sharon’s brand of meanness is no longer popular and no one likes seeing people punch down. What was triggering about reading this was how Sheryl and Elaine felt that they had to remain calm despite being disrespected and how it felt like they were walking a tightrope. Being a Black woman I have been in this situation and I have witnessed other Black women and women of color having to walk this same tightrope. We ALL knew that Sharon was playing the victim despite being the aggressor, which is peak Karen behavior. Neither Sheryl, Elaine nor the audience should have been subjected to Sharon’s toxicity. And I truly believe that Sharon deserved to lose her job and we (Black women) didn’t deserve to be gaslighted for the last month by Sharon and her friends.
Many people believe that Sharon will bounce back but this isn’t the UK where public figures can do horrible things, lose their jobs, and walk into a new opportunity. Well at least, not anymore. I believe that Sharon crashed and burned her career. I am glad that everything was addressed and Sheryl and Elaine were able to put things to rest. I hope this will be the last time the public will have to see and listen to Sharon Osbourne. As I said before, America has enough Karens and Mrs. Annes, we do not need to import any from salty island.
She would only be on FOX, and only once or twice for interviews. Piers unfortunately, we are gonna be stuck with more often I think. But I think Sharon’s done. Bye!
Sharon made her own bed, and I hope people would top to give her space and audience.
You can tell Sheryl and Elaine were holding back. If they raised their voices in the slightest or said anything insulting Sharon would immediately become the victim. They couldn’t get away with the same behavior that Sharon had.
That is the part that really upsets me. They were being held to ridiculously unfair standards in the face of gross behavior against them.
Always. One standard for white women–one of zero expectations and all the privilege–and a different one for Black Women, an impossible one that we continually rise to, not because we are innately “strong” (please see bell hooks on this) but because it’s our only choice unless we want to lose our jobs, our reputations and/or our lives. Meanwhile, our life expectancy, material mortality rates, internal “weathering”, all of it is beyond any normal measure due to the sustained effects of racism. I’m exhausted. We all are. Pandemic has been awful but honestly, I’m growing fonder of just being in the house and not engaging. People, especially white people, are f-ing exhausting at the deepest level and dangerous, so dangerous. I don’t mind being a shut-in at 48 if it keeps me alive.
I’m trying to find the words to express how much this pisses me off, and how happy I am Sheryl was vindicated. It shouldn’t have taken a televised event for the network to take out the racist trash, but, well…
I stan for everything Elaine said yesterday. She’s spectacular.
I thought they were all excellent in their own ways, but I agree that Elaine’s authenticity was really shining. There is no way she or Sheryl did anything to “create” a situation with Sharon. If anything, they were trying to deescalate. I got a free trial of paramount+ just got watch yesterday’s episode of ‘the talk,’ having never watched it once my life! I was impressed by all the ladies, and especially the guest Dr Anita Phillips.
I am a Scorpio and a middle child, I can cause major damage with a few words and a smirk so I don’t react too often. However, as a black woman I will not be void of emotions and human responses for anyone, call it what you like, idgaf!
The world deserves to hear your thoughts and feelings. I hate that Black women are stifled and marginalized.
They were definitely holding back, and I like that they are talking about that and about how it’s something that black women have to do in so many settings. It’s unfortunate that it took Sharon showing her ass like that on TV for her to be fired, but at least it did finally happen.
It’s very upsetting that black women always have to be mindful of how they are perceived when faced with attacks by white women. Sharon knew what she was doing and thought she could get away with it like she did in the past.
Apparently SO’s backstage attack was even worse than the one on camera. Her text apologized for telling SU to eff off! It’s no wonder SU didn’t reply to her texts, investigation or not. No one needs trash like that in their life. You know the old saying…when someone shows you who they really are, believe them.
Something that’s not talked about enough in society is the viciousness of the racism darker-skinned Black women face. It is a whole other category of misogynoir. Sheryl knows she has to carefully weigh every thing she says, her facial expressions, and her body language because she will not receive empathy after being victimized in an industry where image is everything. It’s crazy.
I hope it’s a much better working environment now for everyone, especially Sheryl. It’s criminal CBS allowed this abuse to go on for so long, and it took SO losing it on live tv to make change.
I never understood what she was doing on an American talk show in the first place. Her only claim to fame is that she’s married to Ozzy Osbourne!
THAT PART!