The ladies of 'The Talk' had an honest and emotional conversation during Wednesday's episode.
The ladies of The Talk had a very intense and open conversation. Wednesday's episode began by addressing the backlash that Sharon Osbourne received after defending Piers Morgan for his decision to leave Good Morning Britain as well as his comment about Meghan Markle.
Osbourne told viewers and co-hosts Sheryl Underwood, Amanda Kloots and Elaine Welteroth that she was merely supporting her "friend" and "his freedom of speech and his opinions on what he felt about the interview of Meghan and Harry."
"I know he has a right to say what he feels on the interview, as we have a right to say and everybody has a right to say what they feel with freedom of speech," Osbourne expressed. "Did I like everything he said? Did I agree with what he said? No, because it's his opinion. It's not my opinion. But why is it that because I supported a long-time friend and work colleague of mine for years that everybody goes, if you support him, then you must be racist because he's racist?"
On Tuesday, Osbourne tweeted, "@piersmorgan I am with you. I stand by you. People forget that you’re paid for your opinion and that you’re just speaking your truth."
The ladies then got into a deep conversation, acknowledging that they do not believe Osbourne is a racist, but attempting to show her that Morgan's comments and continued trashing of Meghan is unacceptable.
"Mrs. O, it's always really hard when you see a good friend going through a difficult situation and you know them on a different level and really know their personal heart and their minds," Kloots said. "And you have this relationship with Piers, so I understand why you reached out and supported a friend. He's a friend. And I agree with you, it doesn't mean you support what he says. We have a lot of friends who say things they don't agree with but they're still our friends."
Underwood, on the other hand, said that last time Morgan was on the show she tried to "bring to his attention that there were racial and racist implications in the dealings with Meghan Markle, specifically because she was Black."
"He doesn't want to understand how Meghan was treated was racism and then says…I don't see it as being racist -- I don't believe what she's going through -- it's that white entitlement, privilege that makes it racist upon itself," Underwood continued. "So if you're saying I stand with you, how do you address people who say then you are standing with racism? I'm not saying that you are."
Welteroth added that it was a moment to "stand up for anti-racism." "When we give passes or give space to people who are saying damaging, harmful things, what we're kind of doing is permissing it," she explained. "And I think that's what people are reacting to."
Osbourne insisted that she was just making a note that Morgan is her friend, she wasn't aware of his racist remarks towards Meghan, before asking, "So if I like Piers and he's seen as racist, I'm racist? Is that what you're saying?"
The other ladies all unanimously said no, just reiterating that Morgan is the problem, with Welteroth stating, "But if people know you're not racist they would want you to stand up to your friend who has done racist things and [been] sexist in the coverage of Meghan."
Getting visibly emotional, Osbourne stated that she does not agree with anything Morgan did, but he's always been there for her as a friend.
"There's a difference between bigotry, prejudice, and racism," Underwood later expressed. "To speak upon something and not accept what she is saying, what Meghan has been saying, it could be true, and the responses to that could be true and the fact that you don't even want to take into consideration that her desire to want to end her own life is connected to her race. That dismissal makes it a racist situation."
Welteroth then added, "You're entitled to the rest of your opinions, but when you bypass her experience and you don't acknowledge that experience of racism, you are distracting with all of this other information about being a royalist."
Hours after the show, Osbourne posted a video of a panda eating carrots, captioning it, "Wednesday?" She also responded to a couple people who commented on her post. One follower wrote that she should have disabled her comments, to which she replied, "Never."
Another posted a lengthy comment about her attitude on the show and how her co-hosts were "trying to get you to understand from the prospective of a black person."
Osbourne replied, "I actually really appreciate and respect this comment. Your approach allows a lot of room to listen."
Morgan also responded to Osbourne defending him. "When stuff like this happens, true friends run towards you, fake friends run away. I love Sharon Osbourne because she always stays true to herself," he tweeted. "She knew she would get abused by the woke brigade for tweeting this - but did it anyway because it what she believes."
As for what happened when The Talk cameras were turned off on Wednesday, a source tells ET that the co-hosts met for a closed-door meeting to discuss what happened between Underwood and Osbourne on-air. The source adds that nothing was resolved.
As mentioned, Osbourne was defending Morgan after his response to Markle and Prince Harry's tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey. On Monday's Good Morning Britain, the TV personality said of Markle, "I'm sorry, I don't believe a word she says, Meghan Markle."
A day later, he stormed off the morning show set after he was confronted about his comment regarding the Duchess of Sussex by TV personality Alex Beresford. It was announced that same day that he was exiting the program after six years, and was standing by his statement.
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