Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne have reportedly decided to call it quits on their marriage after 33 years of love, sex, fighting, parenting, infidelity, and substance abuse. And now it feels like true love might just be dead.
But it’s not like they haven’t hit bumps in the road prior to this announcement—there’s plenty of evidence to support the idea this split could be temporary, which gives us hope that maybe all is not lost with Shozzy. After all, one of the things Osbourne is famous for is his iconic shriek, “Shaaaaron!!!”
The pair have always been a fixture in the pop culture landscape—they met when Sharon was working for her father Don Arden, who was managing Black Sabbath, but didn’t start dating until he’d been kicked out. They married three years later (with Sharon managing his solo career) and have since become a symbol of a “real” relationship, one where its members aren’t afraid to be open about their faults and shortcomings unlike so many Hollywood relationships. Here’s a look at some of the lemons the pair have conquered over the years.
Financial Problems
Back in 2013, the couple decided to live apart after reported financial strain—The Mirrorreported a more than $1 million tax bill was partially to blame. Ozzy then left to tour with Black Sabbath while Sharon immersed herself in her daytime show The Talk and a short stint as an X Factor judge.
Prescription Drugs
Sharon was open about the fact that the marriage almost dissolved after she discovered Ozzy was abusing prescription drugs after being sober for almost 10 years. She forced him back into therapy sessions where he reportedly spent more time in the bathroom than talking to an actual therapist, but later saw the errors of his ways and started seeing counselors and psychiatrists on his own. Since then, Ozzy says he has been sober, but even if substance abuse is a possible factor in their current troubles, Sharon has proven she’s been able to get Ozzy back on the right track in the past.
Health Problems
And then there were Sharon’s major health problems. She was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2002 and later had a double mastectomy to ward off breast cancer, for which she has an increased risk. All the while Ozzy was there supporting her, cheering her on as she recovered from a potentially debilitating disease. "I thought she was going to die. I never knew anybody that had survived cancer," Ozzy recalled to Classic Rock magazine. "But my wife is a very strong woman." Last year, Sharon collapsed from fatigue and had to take a month’s hiatus from The Talk—and this was after she’d recently had hernia surgery and been hospitalized for pneumonia.
Infidelity
The rumor around their current troubles is that Ozzy hasn’t been faithful to Sharon. If this is true, it wouldn’t be the first time. Sharon was candid on The Talk about his affairs with two of their nannies years earlier. And somehow she was able to move past that and the two kept on keeping on at being married. As she said on The Talk, “‘You can’t change people. You either accept them as they are or you go.”
But when Sharon returned to The Talk on Tuesday, Beyoncé’s Lemonade was clearly on her mind as she sipped the beverage and spoke about Ozzy’s most recent infidelity and kicking him out of their home. "I'm 63 years of age, and I can't keep living like this,” Sharon said, stating that she wants to figure herself out before deciding her next steps with Ozzy.
In short, couples have ended marriages over far fewer problems than these two have experienced. But whether squabbling on their reality show The Osbournes or talking to press about their problems, the Osbournes have always seemed indestructible, a beacon of, well, maybe not marital health, but at least one of grace and trust and short memories. 33 years is a long time, and their history of temporary splits and furious outbursts gives us hope this (admittedly large) bump in the road could be temporary also. I mean, in 1989 Ozzy allegedly tried to strangle her when he was wasted. And they still managed to come back from that, raising three children and caring for grandchildren, recovering from the price of reality show fame, and capitalizing on fame’s business opportunities to pay the bills with their various passions.
Speaking about their 2013 split, she was encouraging about the future of their marriage: “We’ve dealt with worse and we will deal with it and this too shall pass.” This time, things seem a bit more nebulous, but they've made it back to each other before. Here’s hoping that their “Lemonade” ends in reconciliation too.
