Why Sharon & Ozzy Osbourne Almost Got A Divorce

Against all odds, Sharon Osbourne and Ozzy Osbourne's marriage stood the test of time. When the former Black Sabbath front-man passed away in July 2025, the beloved celebrity couple had been married for an incredible 43 years. However, the Osbournes' impressively long-standing union went through a rough patch in May 2016 that nearly caused them to split for good. At the time, an Us Weekly insider divulged that Sharon had pulled the plug on their relationship after learning of her husband's affair with hairstylist Michelle Pugh. 

But Sharon admitted on "The Talk" that she was in two minds about whether she actually wanted a divorce, reasoning, "I just need time to think. And really think about myself, about what do I really want for [...] Because I'm 63 years of age and I can't keep living like this," (via Us Weekly). However, during a July 2016 appearance on "Good Morning America," the "Crazy Train" hitmaker confirmed that they had reconciled. Ozzy confessed that although things between them were unsurprisingly still quite rocky, they were powering through.

During another episode of "The Talk," which aired the same day, Sharon shared a similar sentiment, acknowledging, "It's going to take a long time to trust, but we've been together 36 years, 34 of marriage [...] I just can't think of my life without him," (via The Mirror). Still, the drama was far from over. Just a few days later, Ozzy's former mistress informed People that the rocker's marriage had left him "unhappy," further insisting that their 4-year-long affair wasn't purely physical and that they had shared a deep emotional connection too. That bond ultimately led to one of the most tragic details about Sharon Osbourne's life. 

During a September 2017 interview with The Telegraph, Sharon Osbourne shared that Ozzy Osbourne had actually been cheating on her with about six women at the time. The former "X-Factor" judge also recalled how she had learned of these dalliances when the metal icon mistakenly emailed her something intended for one of his mistresses instead. Meanwhile, in her 2024 chat with The Mirror, Sharon asserted that she had never lost sleep over Ozzy sleeping around with groupies. 

However, his affair with Michelle Pugh hit her hard because he formed a more emotional attachment to her. At one point, Sharon got so depressed that she even attempted to die by suicide, but luckily a maid spotted her before it was too late. Sharon eventually made it through Ozzy's cheating scandal. While speaking to The Sun in 2016, the TV personality explained that during her healing process, she learned to let the little things go and to ensure her anger didn't take over. 

Of course, Ozzy had to work on himself, too. In a statement shared with Us Weekly in August 2016, the "Paranoid" hitmaker confirmed that he was undergoing therapy for sex addiction, a condition he'd been dealing with since 2010. Ultimately, Sharon and Ozzy continued to make their marriage work. In May 2017, Hello! magazine reported that the couple had even renewed their marital vows. The Grammy winner clarified that this was their "real wedding," sweetly adding, "Sharon and I have been through so much, and this honestly feels like a new beginning."

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