The Talk co-host Sheryl Underwood compared the fallout to her on-air row with Sharon Osbourne to suffering from PTSD.
Osbourne left the US chat show following a clash during the March 10 episode while discussing Piers Morgan’s comments on the Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Osbourne became animated during a confrontation with Underwood, who is black, as she defended Morgan from allegations of racism.
Host Sheryl Underwood shares a message from backstage as “The Talk” returns today. Please join us for a very important hour where we discuss openly what happened and how we hope to move forward. pic.twitter.com/ltq0a3iI51
— The Talk (@TheTalkCBS) April 12, 2021
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The show was taken off air while network CBS launched an internal investigation and later found the former X Factor judge’s behaviour “did not align with our values for a respectful workplace”.
The Talk returned on Monday following a month-long hiatus and addressed the Osbourne controversy.
Dr Donald Grant, who was introduced as a consultant on diversity and inclusion, anchored the episode for a discussion on race.
Underwood, a US actress and comedian, introduced Monday’s The Talk and said “by the end of the hour, we want everyone to feel empowered and ready to move forward”.
Underwood, 57, said: “I feel like I am in PTSD because it was a trauma and I feel like I want to get past this because I really wanted to get to work with my friends and my colleagues.”
Underwood said she has not spoken to Osbourne, 68, since the blow-up and addressed media reports she has been blanking messages from her former co-host.
She said there were text messages from Osbourne, but she ignored them due to CBS’s internal investigation.
During last month’s on-air row, Osbourne said: “I feel even like I’m about to be put in the electric chair because I have a friend who many people think is a racist so that makes me a racist.”
Underwood said during Monday’s episode she did not want to appear as “the angry black woman”.
