How Ozzy Osbourne Navigated Parkinson’s, Addiction Before His Death

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The Osbourne family mourns the loss of their matriarch, Ozzy Osbourne, at 76 years old, as confirmed in a July 22 statement.

In the statement to TopMob News, Sharon Osbourne and the family members – Aimee Osbourne, Kelly Osbourne, Jack Osbourne, and Louis Osbourne from his first marriage to Thelma Riley – expressed profound sadness, stating, “It is with more than words can express that we must share the news of our beloved Ozzy’s passing this morning.” They added, “He was surrounded by family and love. We ask for privacy during this difficult time.”

The tragic news follows 17 days since Ozzy reunited with his heavy metal band Black Sabbath for a final performance in Birmingham, England, five decades after leaving the group he co-founded with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward to pursue a solo career. The band paid tribute to their late member by posting a photo of him on social media and writing “Ozzy Forever.

Despite the unconfirmed cause of his demise, Ozzy – a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who gained fame from his family’s groundbreaking MTV series in the early 2000s, The Osbournes – had been less active in public life due to health issues over recent years. In 2020, he disclosed his diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease and in recent months, he mentioned changes in his mobility. During a February episode of his SiriusXM show Ozzy Speaks, Ozzy himself said, “I complain about my inability to walk and do things, but over the holidays I realized for all my complaining, I’m still alive.”

However, Kelly, a former star on E!’s Fashion Police, recently refuted rumors that her father was near death. “He’s not dying,” she asserted in a July 11 Instagram Stories video, adding to the speculation, “Yes, he has Parkinson’s and his mobility is different from before, but he’s not going to die.

Over time, Ozzy has undergone numerous surgeries, opting for procedures to heal injuries sustained in a 2003 ATV accident and a 2019 fall. He recently announced that he’s had his last operation, stating on Piers Morgan Uncensored in 2023, “I just finished my final procedure two days ago. I can hardly believe it. The main thing is I won’t need any more surgery now. It’s been a grueling five years for me and my family. My family has been incredibly supportive. I wouldn’t have made it without them.”

Ozzy has also been open about his struggles with substance abuse throughout the years, including an infamous incident where he snorted ants instead of cocaine in a dare with Motley Crue during one of their shows. He attributes Sharon for being instrumental in helping him overcome addiction.

He reflected and realized that throughout his life he had been in numerous dangerous situations, yet he never met an untimely end. In the past, by noon he would have already taken drugs such as powder up his nose, needles filled with harmful substances in his veins, and various other intoxicants. This was stated in the 2011 documentary titled God Bless Ozzy Osbourne.

In a 2024 episode of The Madhouse Chronicles, the rocker openly admitted, “I don’t always abstain from marijuana usage. It’s something I partake in occasionally.” He also shared, “I’m fortunate to have a wife who keeps me in line. She often makes life challenging for me.

Throughout their 43-year union, with its highs and lows, they remained one another’s staunchest advocates.

In this rephrased sentence, I have maintained the original meaning while making it more natural and easier to read by replacing “experienced” with “went through,” using “union” instead of “marriage,” and changing “biggest supporters” to “staunchest advocates.” These alterations preserve the intended meaning while creating a smoother sentence flow.

In the 2020 documentary The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, Ozzy declared, “She is the one and only I’ve ever fallen in love with throughout my life.” Put simply, he considers her his soulmate. To delve deeper into the Osbourne family’s story, continue reading.

Originally from Birmingham, England, the legendary rockstar known as Ozzy Osbourne (formerly John Michael Osbourne) was born in 1948. It took two decades for his heavy metal band Black Sabbath, formed with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward, to make their debut.

In 1971, Ozzy married Thelma Riley and together they had children Louis and Jessica Osbourne, in addition to Elliot Kingsley, Thelma’s son from a previous relationship. However, the rockstar found that fame came with its own share of darkness.

As he admitted in the 2020 documentary “Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne”, he struggled with substance abuse and poor behavior. In 1979, he was dismissed from Black Sabbath and embarked on his solo career. His marriage to Thelma ended in 1982, and that same year he wed Sharon Osbourne (whose father managed Black Sabbath).

Throughout their relationship, Ozzy and Sharon were open about both the lows—such as a 1989 incident where Ozzy physically attacked her while under the influence and the 2016 separation attributed to infidelity—and the highs, including welcoming children Aimee, Kelly, and Jack Osbourne in the ’80s and renewing their vows in 2017.

The family’s journey was chronicled on their reality show “The Osbournes”, which aired from 2002 to 2005. Due to health issues, including battles with Parkinson’s disease and surgeries following a 2003 ATV accident, Ozzy took a step back from the limelight. He performed in Black Sabbath’s final show in July 2025 and passed away weeks later at age 76.

Sharon, born in 1952, began managing Ozzy Osbourne in 1979 after his separation from Black Sabbath, and their professional partnership soon developed into a romantic relationship. As the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer confessed in “Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne,” he was still married at the time but fell for Sharon.

In addition to managing Ozzy, Sharon has represented acts like The Smashing Pumpkins, Motorhead, and The Electric Light Orchestra. However, her career evolved into television following the family’s groundbreaking series. Besides starring in The Osbournes, she competed on Celebrity Apprentice, served as a judge on The X Factor and America’s Got Talent, and hosted The Talk for 11 years before her 2021 dismissal.

Like Ozzy, Sharon has been open about her health struggles over the years, including her victory over colon cancer in 2003, a preventive double mastectomy in 2012, and a hospitalization in 2022. Despite life’s highs and lows, the couple have remained each other’s biggest supporters.

“We’re two eccentric individuals,” Sharon told TopMob News in 2023. “I believe we were cut from the same cloth. It hasn’t been simple. No relationship is easy, and you need to work at it. You encounter your unpleasant times, your difficult times, and your dreadful times. But if you love each other, you’ll find a way through.”

Aimee, born in September 1983, is the eldest of Ozzy and Sharon’s three children who share their love for music. She sings and writes songs, some under her own name as well as with the band ARO. Unlike her family members, she didn’t appear on ‘The Osbournes’ in the 2000s. During an interview on The Michael Anthony Show in 2021, she explained that it felt excessively nepotistic, given her awareness of her father’s media presence growing up. She valued protecting her family’s privacy and didn’t want to expose the complexities within their family. As a teenager at the time, she also feared losing her privacy. Moreover, she believed that career-wise, it just wasn’t a good fit.

However, Aimee hasn’t entirely shied away from the limelight. She acted in MTV’s 2003 adaptation of ‘Wuthering Heights’, did voiceovers for the 2014 animated film ‘Postman Pat: The Movie’, and starred in her own music videos.

Regarding her relationship with her siblings, Kelly has mentioned that they don’t communicate much. In an interview on Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard in 2024, she stated that they are just too different and neither understands the other.

13 months younger than her sister, Sharon and Ozzy’s daughter is Kelly. She is a versatile individual, known for acting in shows like “Life as We Know It” and “So Undercover” alongside Miley Cyrus, singing with two released albums, appearing on reality shows such as “The Osbournes” and “Dancing With the Stars”, serving as a judge on “Project Runway: Junior” and “Australia’s Got Talent”, designing, hosting TV series like “Project Catwalk” and “Lego Masters Jr.”, and even working on “Fashion Police”.

Throughout her life in the public eye, Kelly has been candid about the struggles she’s encountered, including her fight against addiction, past relationships (she was previously engaged to Luke Worrall and Matthew Mosshart), and criticism regarding her body. In an interview with Us Weekly in 2024, she expressed gratitude for every challenge and lesson learned, stating, “My life has come a long way, and I am just so grateful for every mistake that I made in my life, for every lesson learned, for all of it. I have such an incredible life. What could I possibly complain about?”

This extraordinary life includes her son Sidney, born in November 2022, and her fiancé Sid Wilson, who proposed in July 2025. Kelly shared that the arrival of her son 18 months after she got sober had a profound impact on her, saying, “I truly believe that my baby saved me and made me whole. I don’t think I knew what love was before having him. I don’t think I truly had a purpose. I just went from thing to thing, and this level of self-hate and self-doubt that I used to have would take me out.

In November 1985, Jack, the youngest child of Sharon and Ozzy, was born. After gaining fame on their reality show, he ventured into acting, landing minor roles in shows like ‘Dawson’s Creek’ and the movie ‘New York Minute’ featuring Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. He also made appearances on various reality and competition shows such as ‘Union Jack’, ‘Jack Osbourne: Adrenaline Junkie’, ‘Dancing With the Stars’, and ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’.

Besides acting, Jack has worked behind the camera, producing documentaries like ‘God Bless Ozzy Osbourne’ in 2011 and the 2013 series ‘Alpha Dogs’. He often combines these roles, both producing and starring in shows like ‘Ozzy & Jack’s World Detour’ and his paranormal series ‘Portals to Hell’.

Jack has been open about sharing his personal life with fans, discussing his mental health challenges, his journey towards sobriety in 2003, and his multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2012. In an interview with ‘Today’ in 2017, he expressed gratitude for his diagnosis, viewing it as a silver lining. “I don’t waste days anymore,” he said. “I’m always doing something to accomplish something.”

He is thankful for his family, which includes daughters Pearl, Andy, Minnie with ex-wife Lisa Stelly and daughter Maple with wife Aree Gearheart.

In their childhood, Ozzy was frequently away due to tours, making for an unpredictable upbringing as they adjusted to his return and settled back into routine before he left again. When he was home, he often visited pubs. Jessica and Louis have stated that, while he could be a wonderful father when sober, such instances were rare. Despite the separation following Ozzy’s marriage to Thelma, they remained connected, as evidenced by an episode of “The Osbournes” where Ozzy learned about Jessica giving birth for the first time as a grandfather. Since then, they have sporadically seen each other, with more chances of encounters in random New York hotels than family gatherings. However, they make it a point to stay in touch through regular phone calls and visits when he comes to the UK. Elliot, their brother, is less frequently discussed publicly.

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2025-07-23 00:17