Having celebrated their coral wedding anniversary this year, some would say Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne’s marriage is one of showbiz’s greatest miracles. The couple first began dating in the late 70’s and soon tied the knot, shortly having three children: Aimee, Kelly and Jack. However, the iconic British couple have seen many a turbulent time throughout their marriage.
In 1989, under the influence of alcohol, Ozzy attempted to strangle his wife, an incident he had no recollection of and has since described as his most shameful moment. Sharon dropped the case and rather than an attempted murder charge, Ozzy underwent a court ordered separation along with three months in rehab. So, how did the coupled overcome this and what’s the secret behind their 35 years of marriage?
Whilst Ozzy has joked that it’s to avoid being “caught with your mistress”, the former Black Sabbath frontman says it is down to the undying love they have for each other; both declaring the other as being the love of their lives. However, it is not only this strong connection which has played a role in maintaining their marriage but the longevity and continuity of their marriage is down to a theme of perseverance which is woven through the fabric of their relationship. Whilst it is easy to assume marriage is full of ‘ups’, there are inevitably some ‘downs’, demonstrating the reality behind a long and, ultimately, successful marriage is that it is a marathon and not a sprint, which provides learning and requires development and growth.
Overcoming such challenges has allowed for success. In 2002, for example, the first season of their hit reality TV show The Osbournes became the most-viewed MTV series ever. This contributed to the couples’ combined vast wealth of £100m (which has since more than doubled), with Sharon listed in the top 50 richest British women in the Sunday Times Rich List the same year. However, during this same period Sharon was diagnosed with colon cancer, a diagnosis which unsurprisingly hit the family hard.
In 2016, Sharon’s challenges continued when she uncovered Ozzy’s affair with hairdresser Michelle Pugh, with many being forgiven for believing it surely had to be the final straw of their marriage. However, yet again, despite Sharon feeling “humiliated and belittled” by the affair, the Osbourne marriage continued its theme of showing a concrete resilience. This time, on the basis that Ozzy underwent intense sex therapy. After Ozzy’s therapy, the coupled sought to start afresh, symbolised through a renewing of their wedding vows with Sharon commenting that “Ozzy and I are interwoven”, and Ozzy describing the renewal ceremony as marking “a new beginning”.
Instead of seeing their hardships in life as negatives, Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne have channelled them in a commendable way, by devoting their time and resources to countless charities and organisations. For example, Sharon Osbourne has set up the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, supported by her husband and more recently, also made a £10,000 donation to Children in Need. This commitment to important causes is also evident in Ozzy, who donated £10,000 to a US children’s musical organisation for their rendition of ‘Crazy Train’ as well as requesting that any birthday donations to be given to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
What the above shows is a story of challenges and setbacks, but one where the participants have refused to give up. For example, despite significant issues in their marriage, the much-loved couple have used treatment, rehab and therapy to help preserve their marriage, and by doing so, exemplified how there is no “one size fits all” approach to maintaining a marriage; divorce and separation are not the only options and approaching issues in different ways can help couples work through their problems and even improve their marriages. Indeed, as Ozzy found, his marriage is now “1,000 percent better” than it has been in the past.
Grayfords is renowned for its holistic service, Beyond Law. Beyond Law takes a unique approach, the resources and experience and is therefore able to help couples work through their differences in numerous ways, such as through couple’s therapy and relationship coaching.