Despite never having met the woman, I feel a very strong connection to now former “The Talk” host Sharon Osborne. The reasons may surprise you.
Ever since the ruckus MTV series “The Osborne’s” first burst on the scene in early 2002, matriarch Sharon Osbourne has been quite ubiquitous. Her knack for being interesting on camera and hitting her mark on set is undeniable.
Trust me, it’s harder to do than it looks.
Our worlds collided shortly after the birth of my second son. I was a Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge at the time, and one afternoon I received a call from a woman interested in being my talent agent. The pitch was to allow her 90 days to secure an offer for a daytime tv show. She was totally convinced I had the goods to be successful in syndication. Because a very good friend had referred her to me, coupled with the thought of working less and spending more time with now two boys, I told her I’d be open to the possibility.
Like clockwork, I did end up getting an opportunity to be in a court show pilot. The feedback I received was that everyone at Tribune Entertainment and the production company Endemol were beyond thrilled with the end result. The premise was I, as the mediator, would show up at the scene of legal disputes in a sleek, black, Cadillac Escalade driven by my Latino bailiff, and administer mobile justice.
We did not launch as planned in the Fall 2003. Why, you ask?
Ultimately, the higher ups felt The Sharon Osborne Show (also from Tribune Entertainment) was a surer thing. A much smarter, safer bet.
Yes, almost two decades ago I lost out to Ozzy’s wife! It was a tough pill to swallow. But that’s showbiz, right? And it made sense due to the Osbourne family being on everyone’s lips and radar back then. How do you compete? Of course Sharon was going to take down daytime queen Oprah Winfrey and have ratings shooting through the roof. How could she not be a hit?
The Sharon Osbourne Show lasted one season before eventually getting cancelled.
So, that’s it? That’s my Sharon Osbourne story? Well, not exactly. You see seven years later in 2010, a huge announcement came out. The one time rock manager and mother of three, who’s husband notoriously bit the head off of a bat on stage during a live show performance in Des Moines, was now going to be a panelist on a hyped new CBS network show called The Talk featuring other moms from diverse backgrounds.
Also that fall, the first of what would be many court shows from Byron Allen and Entertainment Studios was launching: ‘America’s Court with Judge Ross’.
Over the last eleven years, until yesterday, Sharon and I both continued appearing on the telly, while most of our contemporaries that began alongside us pretty much faded away. One more interesting fact. My Season 1 show was shot right across from Judge Judy, on the exact same Hollywood sound stage as Season 1 of The Sharon Osborne Show.
and Season 1 of America’s Court were both filmed
Even more ironically, Sharon’s prior dressing room ended up becoming mine.
I remember the floor having this cool, vintage, black and white check pattern.
See, that’s the funny thing about life. You just have no idea how things will turn out. That said, I’ll leave others to dissect whether Sharon Osbourne is an innocent victim of “cancel culture” or simply a “Comeuppance Karen”.
As an African-American man having worked in sales, marketing, radio, law enforcement, the judicial system, and now in television, I can honestly tell you without question that racism is real. Racial insensitivity exists. White privilege is problematic. Despite that being the case, more and more people are aware of it and are making a sincere effort to not only address it, but resolve conflicts in constructive, equitable ways.
Personally, I’m just glad I never felt any resentment or anger towards Sharon Osbourne’s success. That was her blessing. God had other plans for me. And I’m very grateful for all of them.
In terms of advice I’d give her moving forward, I’d tell Mrs O that everything happens for a reason. And maybe, just maybe, this current mess you’re in is meant to create a space to convey a message that only you can deliver to those who may otherwise not want to hear it.
Carry on, Sharon. Like always, I be watching your every move!
iambossross 