CONTENT WARNING: This article may be triggering for some readers. If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website here.
The ending, when it came, was shockingly swift. Just 17 days after Ozzy Osbourne took to the stage on July 5, 2025 to perform with Black Sabbath, the band that made him a superstar, he died aged 76.
It was the first time he had performed with Black Sabbath in 20 years. Poignantly, that performance was to be his very last.
“It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” a statement from Ozzy’s wife Sharon, 72, and their children Kelly, Aimee and Louis, confirmed on July 22.
“He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.”
What was Ozzy Osbourne’s diagnosis?
It had long been known that Ozzy, the rock legend known for his characteristic screeching vocals, was unwell.
In 2020 he had sat beside Sharon on Good Morning America to reveal that he had Parkinson’s disease.
“It’s Parkin 2 which is a form of Parkinson’s. There are so many different types of Parkinson’s,” Sharon told the show’s hosts.
“It’s not a death sentence by any stretch of the imagination but it does affect the nerves in your body.”
But despite the relatively positive prognosis, in recent years Ozzy had undergone seven surgeries, including an operation on his spine in 2023.
Indeed, audience members at Ozzy’s final gig in Birmingham could see how deeply he was struggling with his health.
The star – who belted out his songs with as much talent as he’d always done – became emotional during his final act.
“It’s the last song ever,” he told the crowd as he closed the show. “Your support has enabled us to live an amazing lifestyle, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
His illness had affected his ability to walk and, often confined to a wheelchair, he had been concerned about being unable to stand for his final appearance. He ended up being brought to the stage, wearing his trademark black, in a quilted throne with a huge bat on top of it.
Ozzy was such a presence and so deeply loved, his sudden loss came as a heavy blow for Sharon and the children.
“They’ve had so many scares with Ozzy, it’s not really hit them that he’s not coming back this time,” an insider tells New Idea. “Sharon’s the one everyone needs to keep an eye on as she’s barely keeping it together, but already she’s had calls from friends all over the world offering to fly in and help her readjust.
“Priscilla Presley was one,” the insider adds. “They’ve been close ever since she appeared on Sharon’s show (The Talk in 2014) and she had a ton of advice on how to keep going while preserving Ozzy’s legacy.
“It’s given Sharon something to work towards so expect plans for a tribute documentary to be on the horizon once she gets over this shock.”
How did Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne meet?
For Sharon, the stalwart who had been by Ozzy’s side for more than 45 years, this new era presents different struggles.
She and Ozzy had met in 1970 when Sharon was just 18.
At the time, her father Don Arden was the manager of Black Sabbath. The lovebirds would later marry in July 1982.
They then had Aimee, Kelly and Jack. The late singer was also the father to Jessica Osbourne, Louis Osbourne and Elliot Kingsley.
What happened between Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne?
Their relationship was not without its drama. They briefly separated in 2016 after Ozzy had a four-year affair with a hairstylist.
Speaking on stage on her theatre show Cut The C**p Later, Sharon admitted: “He always, always had groupies and I was so used to that. But when he knows the name of the person, where they live and where they work… it is a whole different thing as you are emotionally invested.”
At the time she admitted she had tried to take her own life following the ordeal.
The pair, however, later reconciled, with Ozzy telling The Sun newspaper: “Sharon and I have never been as close as we are now. It’s great. Sharon has been a god.
“We all make mistakes. I’m lucky she took me back. Sometimes I sit there and go, ‘What the f*** was I thinking?’ I won’t understand why it happened until the day I die.”
While they came back from their relationship ordeal stronger than ever, Ozzy’s health would go on to turn their lives upside down.
In a November 2023 interview with Metro, in the UK, Sharon opened up about the toll Ozzy’s health struggles had already taken on the family.
“It’s been a very, very tough five years,” she said. “The pain is getting better but it’s devastating watching someone you love be sick for so long. And it changes the family’s life radically.
“Yes, I get to spend more time with Ozzy, but I think he’s fed up with me telling him what to do. Taking care of him has put my life on a different path to what it was.”
Now, New Idea’s insider reveals Sharon is “being incredibly strong” after her soulmate’s death.
“For Jack, Kelly and Aimee, they’re rallying around each other. Kelly’s especially upset – she was a true daddy’s girl and wanted him to walk her down the aisle,” the source reveals.
“Everyone’s in shock but they all agree they couldn’t have asked for a more perfect send-off. Not only did Ozzy get to see all his kids happy and settled making grandkids for Sharon, but he got to perform for his beloved fans one last time.”
If you or someone you know has been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website here.
