What happened with Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne?

29 July 2022, 19:00 | Updated: 22 July 2025, 20:33

Biography - The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne | A&E

It was the late Black Sabbath legend's lowest moment - the time he tried to kill wife Sharon during a drunken blackout.

***TRIGGER WARNING*** This story contains descriptions of domestic violence.

The death of Ozzy Osbourne aged 76 on 22nd July 2025 has caused an outpouring of love and affection for the late Black Sabbath frontman.

But there's hasn't been a whitewashing of the singer's often turbulent lifestyle.- including the excessive drugs and alcohol that blighted much of the 1980s for Osbourne. At his lowest ebb, substance-induced blackouts led the musician to strangle his wife and manager Sharon in a deranged attempt to kill her.

Both Ozzy and Sharon opened up about the terrifying night three years ago in the documentary The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne.

When did Ozzy Osbourne try to kill his wife Sharon?

Ozzy tried to kill his wife Sharon by strangulation on 2nd September 1989.

Speaking in the documentary The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon recalled that he came into the room and said 'We've come to a decision that you've got to die'."

"I had no idea who was sat across from me on the sofa, but it wasn't my husband," Sharon revealed. "He goes to a state where he gets a look in his eyes, there's shutters, shutters were down on his eyes and I couldn't get through to him"

She added: "He was calm, very very calm and he lunged across at me," revealing: "I felt the stuff on the table and felt the panic button and just pressed it. Next thing I know the cops were there."

Despite it being a shock Sharon does recall something building due to Ozzy's substance abuse.

Black Sabbath - War Pigs (live from Back To The Beginning)

What happened after Ozzy Osbourne tried to kill Sharon?

Ozzy - who was under the influence at the time - remembers the moment before the event said: "I felt the calmest I've ever felt in my life.

"It was like serenity. Everything was just peaceful."

However, he doesn't remember anything else until he woke up in a police cell.

He revealed "All I remember is waking up in Amersham jail and I asked the cop, 'Why am I here?' And he says, 'You want me to read your charge?'

"So he read, 'John Michael Osbourne, you have been arrested for the attempted murder of Sharon Osbourne.'"

When asked by a producer off camera if it made him "uncomfortable" to talk about the incident, he replied, "It's not exactly one of my greatest f***ing achievements."

Black Sabbath - Iron Man (live from Back To The Beginning)

Was Ozzy Osborne sentenced fo trying to kill Sharon?

Sharon dropped the charges against her husband, recalling: "I was looking at all the options left in my life. I was looking at everything.

"What is going to be the best for my kids? What is going to be the best for me? I hated being without him.

"Ozzy was very frightened when he came out and when he was in his house, he definitely watched what he was doing. He frightened himself."

If you or anyone you know has been affected by any of the topics discussed above, please reach out to the following helplines:

National Domestic Abuse Helpline

• nationaldahelpline.org.uk
• Tel: 0807 2000 247

Living Without Abuse

• lwa.org.uk
• Tel: 0808 80 200 28

Relate

• relate.org.uk

Release

• https://www.release.org.uk/
• TEL: 020 7324 2989

The Samaritans

• Tel: 116 123
• samaritans.org

Mind

• MindInfoline: 0300 123 3393
• mind.org.uk