Ozzy Osbourne says his greatest regret is cheating on wife Sharon
Ozzy Osbourne has done some “pretty outrageous things” over the years. But the 71-year-old rocker knows which one he regrets the most: cheating on Sharon Osbourne, his wife of 38 years.
In a revealing new interview with GQ, the Black Sabbath frontman, who released his 12th solo album in February, opened up about his 2016 affair with hair colourist Michelle Pugh, that resulted in the married couple’s brief split.
"I've done some pretty outrageous things in my life. I regret cheating on my wife. I don't do it anymore," Ozzy told the magazine this week for its Men of the Year issue. "I got my reality check and I'm lucky she didn’t leave me. I'm not proud of that. I was pissed off with myself. But I broke her heart."
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Back in 2017, Ozzy discussed his infidelity with Rolling Stone, chalking up his behaviour to the lifestyle that accompanies music stardom. "It’s a rock 'n' roll thing — you rock and you roll. You take the good with the bad,” he said at the time. “When I was a crazy f—, I’m lucky she didn’t walk out."
Sharon, 68, has also reflected on the ups and down of the couple’s nearly 40-year romance, which has resulted in three children together: Aimee, 37, Kelly, 36, and Jack, 35. In September, she told Entertainment Tonight that she and Ozzy are “soulmates.”
"The thought of not being with him is just unthinkable," she said. "As the years go on you just get closer. When a romance first starts it's lust, and it's love, and it's everything — sh— and giggles. It's a different love. As you get older and things change in your lives, it just becomes a different love."
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In 2018, The Talk co-host admitted that coping with her husband’s sex addiction, which he confirmed after his affair became public, was “a bone of contention” in their home. “No wonder he fiddles other people,” she said jokingly adding, “No, he doesn’t, he doesn’t. He’s a good boy.”
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Ozzy has also faced health struggles — last year, he underwent spinal surgery, which left him in significant pain. (“The surgery I had knocked the crap out of me,” he told GQ.) And in January, he was diagnosed with Parkin 2, a rare form of Parkinson’s disease.
"Once you’re 70, the floodgates open and everything goes downhill,” he told the outlet. “Mind you, I’ve got away with it for a long time," he shared.
The coronavirus pandemic has also been extremely challenging for Osbourne, who claims he’s “been going f— nuts in my house all this time.” Still, the time has been useful when it comes to self-reflection.
“I’m like a caged animal! But I’ve done a lot of reflecting during this lockdown,” he told GQ. “I’ve been thinking of my childhood, thinking about what a fantastic life I’ve had.”
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