Sharon Osbourne said she was left terrified by death threats after the veteran TV star was accused of being racist.
The 69-year-old exited US show The Talk last year, after she became involved in a fiery on-air spat with her co-host Sheryl Underwood.
The row began during an episode of the show in March 2021, when the women discussed Piers Morgan’s ongoing criticism of Meghan Markle after the former royal took part in an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Sharon leapt to the defence of her longtime friend during the heated debate, prompting Sheryl to ask the British-born TV star: “What would you say to people who may feel that, while you are standing by your friend, it appears that you gave validation or safe haven to something that he has uttered that is racist, even if you don’t agree?”
The mum-of-three said she was left “crying hysterically” following her fellow panellist's remarks, and was “blind sided” by the suggestion she was racist.
“It was supposed to be a chat about freedom of speech. I don’t agree with everything Piers says - he doesn’t agree with everything I say,” she told The Sun.
Sharon said she was heartbroken after her friend of more than a decade called her out live on air after the former X Factor judge continued to defend Piers.
“I was in shock. When the show went to a commercial break I was crying hysterically, saying to Sheryl, ‘Why are you doing this? What’s going on?’” she explained.
The ex-MTV reality star then said Sheryl “turned her a**e on me and pretended to talk to whoever was in her earpiece” prompting Sharon to tell her: “f*** you for this”.
Following the incident, which hit the headlines, she firmly denied being racist, but still faced threatening behaviour from irked viewers.
“I had people saying, ‘We’re going to come in the night and cut you and your husband’, or, ‘We’re going to cut your dogs into pieces’.
“They said horrible things about my kids too. It went on and on,” Sharon confessed, as she revealed she and her terrified family were forced to get 24-hour security.
She said she sold her cars and got “an unidentifiable runaround” so she could still go shopping, but was left frozen in fear when she was recognised by fans in a mall who she thought “might take a swing at me”.
After admitting she “didn’t go out for ages” and “couldn’t stop crying”, Sharon eventually began to seek therapy, and is now ready to make her return to TV as it was announced she is joining Piers’ new talkTV network.
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