Thanks in large part to his family’s hit reality TV show, Ozzy Osbourne is known as much for his marriage to Sharon Osbourne as his musical legacy. But, that doesn’t mean things were always amicable between them.
Sharon became Ozzy’s manager when he launched a solo career in 1979 after he was kicked out of Black Sabbath. Around the same time, the pair began dating and wed her three years later—immediately after his divorce from first wife Thelma Riley. The pair remained married for more than four decades until Ozzy’s death on July 22.
While they became one of music’s most recognizable couples, Ozzy and Sharon had their share of public quarrels—with reasons ranging from the singer’s alcohol abuse to an alleged affair. But the closest the couple ever came to splitting was in 1989, when one of their confrontations became violent and resulted in Ozzy’s arrest for attempted murder.
Ozzy struggled with sobriety for years
Known for his crazy on-stage antics—most famously biting the head off a dead-or-possibly-not-dead bat during a 1982 concert in Des Moines, Iowa—Ozzy’s behavior behind the scenes could be just as unpredictable.
In May 1984, Ozzy was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of public intoxication following a performance in Memphis, Tennessee. He later admitted he was drinking heavily and using cocaine and other drugs during this stage of his career. “Ozzy was in a bad way physically, you know, drunk every day. I just couldn’t take it,” Sharon said in the 2020 documentary Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne. At his wife’s urging, Ozzy checked into a Betty Ford Clinic on October 28, 1984—the day after the birth of their second daughter together, Kelly.
However, after a six-week rehabilitation stay, Ozzy remained sober for “about 45 minutes,” according to Sharon. She also revealed the singer fainted from drunkenness following the birth of their son, Jack, in November 1985.
Ozzy’s alcohol and drug dependency continued to affect their relationship, leading to repeated fighting. This culminated in a terrifying confrontation inside their home.
Ozzy tried to strangle Sharon and was arrested
Speaking in the documentary, Sharon explained Ozzy was “on a bender” lasting at least a week in 1989 when she noticed he was uncharacteristically calm. “So God only knows what combination he was on, or whatever it was...but it frightened the s—t out of me,” she said.
After putting their children to bed, Sharon was quietly reading when Ozzy, clearly under the influence, walked into the room and sat on the sofa. “We’ve come to a decision that you’ve got to die,” she recalled him saying. Ozzy then pinned Sharon to the floor and attempted to strangle her. Luckily, she was able to reach for a panic button on a nearby table, and the police arrived soon after.
Authorities took Ozzy to an Amersham, England, jail, where he woke up the following morning unaware of what happened. When a policeman told him he was charged with attempted murder, he asked if it was a joke. “He says, ‘I’m not joking,’” Ozzy said. “It was like a f—ing hammer between the eyes.”
Sharon ultimately dropped the charges against him, and a judge required Ozzy to attend six months of medical detention.
Sharon considered divorcing Ozzy after the incident
While Ozzy was in treatment, Sharon strongly considered all of her options, including divorce. “What is going to be the best for my kids? What is gonna be the best for me?” she said. Ultimately, the pair remained together until Ozzy’s death on July 22, 2025.
The couple returned to the public eye in the early 2000s with the debut of The Osbournes, the MTV program documenting the family’s domestic life. The show lasted until 2005, earning a Primetime Emmy award.
The 1989 strangling incident wasn’t the only time Ozzy and Sharon were on the verge of splitting. In April 2013, Ozzy announced in a statement to social media he suffered a relapse, but quickly denied rumors he and Sharon were divorcing. “I’m just trying to be a better person,” he wrote.
Then in May 2016, the pair jointly announced their plans to divorce after more than three decades together. A source told Us Weekly the breakup happened over an alleged affair Ozzy had with a celebrity hair stylist based in Los Angeles. Within two months, though, Ozzy and Sharon decided to mend their relationship. “It’s just a bump in the road. It’s back on track again,” he said of their marriage on Good Morning America that July. The couple renewed their vows in Las Vegas on Mother's Day in 2017.
Ultimately, the pair appeared to be on better terms during Ozzy’s final years. In 2022, Sharon posted a tribute on Instagram marking their 40th anniversary. “We first met when I was 18, over 52 years we have been friends, lovers, husband & wife, grandparents, and soulmates. Always at each other’s side. I love you Ozzy,” she wrote.
Tyler Piccotti joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor and is now the News and Culture Editor. He previously worked as a reporter and copy editor for a daily newspaper recognized by the Associated Press Sports Editors. In his current role, he shares the true stories behind your favorite movies and TV shows and profiles rising musicians, actors, and athletes. When he's not working, you can find him at the nearest amusement park or movie theater and cheering on his favorite teams.
