Why Ozzy Osbourne’s first wife has airbrushed the rock star from her life: ‘Who’d want to be part of that mad family!’
In his role as the head of the reality TV series The Osbournes, where he oversaw a humorous display of family chaos with his colorful language, Ozzy Osbourne captured a fresh audience’s heart. Yet, there was never any question that Ozzy adored his family, or that they felt the same affection towards him.
The sentiment was clearly expressed in the statement issued upon his passing, which was made just a few days ago, 17 days following the final concert of Black Sabbath’s lead singer in his hometown of Birmingham.
With a heavier heart than any words can express, it is with great sorrow that we share the news: Ozzy Osbourne has sadly passed away this morning, enveloped in the love of his family.
It was particularly noteworthy who made the statement: Sharon, known as Ozzy’s resilient, vibrant, and loyal spouse; Jack, Kelly, and Aimee, their offspring born from their union.
In a nutshell, Louis might not have rung a bell for many. He was actually a musician, known as the son of a rocker from his first marriage.
Two names conspicuously absent from the family declaration were those of Jessica, Ozzy’s oldest child, and Elliot, his adoptive son.
Even though Ozzy was pioneering in the realm of reality TV fatherhood, it’s important to remember that he had another spouse and family before that role.
Except for Louis, who closely resembles his dad, his original family has remained quiet following the 76-year-old’s passing.

As an ardent fan, I found myself standing by Ozzy’s side, right there in our cherished Grade II-listed abode on the outskirts of Chalfont St Giles, Buckinghamshire, as he took his final bow.
However, let’s consider his sister, Jessica, aged 53, who resides only six miles away from here, sharing a home with her spouse and their trio of kids.
At this point, she hasn’t issued any public comment, and neither has New Zealand, the place where her adopted son Elliot Osbourne, aged 59 and employed in tech, resides with his spouse.
When Ozzy got married to Elliot’s mom, a nightclub hostess named Thelma Riley, in the year 1971 when Elliot was five, he entered parenthood and described his experience as ‘pretty chaotic’ at its best.
Regarding Thelma, it’s been uncovered recently that although she has resided in Birmingham since her turbulent divorce, she has managed to maintain her connection with him as a private matter.
It appeared that, despite spending over two decades residing on a tranquil street lined with terraced houses in Harborne, her neighbors remained unaware of her past marriage to one of the city’s most renowned figures.
Images dating back to the 1970s depict Thelma Riley (formerly Thelma Rees, who was briefly married to Anthony Riley) as a captivating young woman with cascading dark hair. At 76 years old, she’s sporting silver hair, but her charm remains undiminished. In 1999, she graduated with an MBA from Oxford Brookes University and later co-founded a successful sales and marketing consultancy.
Previously residing a few houses down before Thelma relocated many years back was my ex-neighbor Karen. Although I knew her by name, our interactions were limited to mere acquaintanceship, and she was always impeccably attired.

In 2017, after Sharon, Ozzy’s second spouse, made an appearance on The X Factor on ITV, Karen playfully questioned Thelma about their shared last name, wondering if they might be related.
Karen reminisces: ‘I was a big fan of The X Factor, and when I ran into Thelma on the street following Sharon’s last performance, we shared a good chuckle. Though we weren’t close, I jokingly asked if they were related, and she reacted with dismay, exclaiming, “Absolutely not! Who would want to be connected to that crazy family!”‘
Up until now, I had no clue that Thelma, my neighbor, was once married to Ozzy Osbourne! She never hinted at it, and it’s evident she wanted to keep it a secret. Astonished, one of her co-directors in the building management confirms to the Mail that he shares the same surprise.
Economics professor John Fender shared with the Mail that he was unaware of Thelma’s secret. Being fellow company directors, they were close, but John admitted he had no inkling. He was taken aback as she never disclosed it. She maintained a tight-lipped approach, and his astonishment is palpable. He confessed that Osbourne being a common name didn’t help him make the connection earlier.
In my zealous admiration, I must confess that she wasn’t always as reserved as she appears today. Back then, after her divorce, the embers of her anger blazed like never before, as The Mail reported. The colleague I once worked with, whom we now believe had a fleeting third marriage, is now contentedly settled with a lifelong companion, enjoying retirement on the tranquil outskirts of Birmingham. She’s an integral part of her children and grandchildren’s lives, making every day a celebration of family bonds.
It’s not unexpected that she would prefer to hide the struggles of her second marriage, given what Ozzy shared about his behavior towards Thelma in his memoir “I Am Ozzy.
Between the 60s and the 80s, Birmingham’s Rum Runner nightclub held a legendary reputation. One evening in 1970, Ozzy Osbourne, along with fellow Black Sabbath member Tony Iommi, made an entrance. In the cloakroom that very night was Thelma Riley.
Ozzy inquired, “Who is that person?” He was informed that the woman was charming and intelligent, but she had gone through a divorce and had a child, so he should exercise caution.

In a predictable turn of events, Ozzy disregarded that advice, claiming the evening culminated with him sharing a kiss with Thelma in the back seat of Tony’s Ford Cortina.
A year later they married at the Birmingham Register Office. ‘A terrible mistake,’ wrote Ozzy.
During their tour, Black Sabbath found themselves enticed by drugs, alcohol, and groupies, while Thelma, now expecting, remained at home. As Ozzy put it, “I would experience a strange, unsettling restlessness whenever I was at home, as if my mind were about to explode.
If I truly cared for Thelma, I most definitely didn’t act towards her as I did. If there is anything in my life that I regret, treating her the way I did is undoubtedly one of those things.
I caused that woman immense suffering. Looking back, I regret marrying her because it was never fair to her; she wasn’t a wicked person, nor did she make a poor wife. However, I was an absolute terror.
Ozzy’s worst excesses have been well documented.
On the home front, he once took a shotgun to the 17 cats at the couple’s home in Staffordshire.
1. He hid marijuana-infused dessert in the kitchen, which Thelma unknowingly passed on to the local clergy. Additionally, he killed all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic weapon, drenched their coop with gasoline, and ignited it. The last surviving chicken was dispatched by him with a sword.
2. The cannabis-laced cake he hid in the kitchen was served to the local vicar by mistake (Thelma). Furthermore, he brutally killed all the chickens she had bought, used a gun for this, then doused their coop with gasoline and set it on fire. Even the sole chicken that managed to survive was killed by him with a sword.
3. The stash of cannabis-infused cake he kept in the kitchen was mistakenly given (by Thelma) to the local vicar. In addition, he slaughtered all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic firearm, drenched their coop with gasoline, and burned it down. The remaining chicken that survived was also killed by him with a sword.
4. He concealed marijuana-laced cake in the kitchen, which Thelma unintentionally delivered to the local vicar. Moreover, he brutally murdered all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic gun, soaked their coop with gasoline, and burned it to the ground. The last chicken that managed to survive was also killed by him with a sword.
5. He secretly stored cannabis-laced cake in the kitchen, which Thelma unwittingly handed over to the local vicar. Furthermore, he killed all the chickens she had purchased using a semi-automatic weapon, set their coop on fire after dousing it with gasoline, and dispatched the sole survivor with a sword.
6. He hid marijuana-infused cake in the kitchen, which Thelma inadvertently gave to the local vicar. Additionally, he mercilessly killed all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic gun, doused their coop with gasoline, and set it ablaze. The last chicken that escaped the fire was also killed by him with a sword.
7. He stashed cannabis-laced cake in the kitchen, which Thelma passed on to the local vicar without knowing. Furthermore, he slaughtered all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic gun, drenched their coop with gasoline, and ignited it. The remaining chicken that survived the fire was also killed by him with a sword.
8. He hid marijuana-infused cake in the kitchen, which Thelma unknowingly provided to the local vicar. Additionally, he brutally killed all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic gun, doused their coop with gasoline, and set it on fire. The last chicken that managed to survive was also killed by him with a sword.
9. He stashed a marijuana-infused cake in the kitchen, which Thelma handed over to the local vicar unintentionally. Furthermore, he killed all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic gun, doused their coop with gasoline, and burned it down. The last chicken that survived was also killed by him with a sword.
10. He hid marijuana-laced cake in the kitchen, which Thelma inadvertently gave to the local vicar. Additionally, he brutally murdered all the chickens she had bought using a semi-automatic gun, drenched their coop with gasoline, and set it ablaze. The last chicken that managed to survive was also killed by him with a sword.

During an interview with the Mail, he confessed that he had abused Thelma, both emotionally and physically. He stated, ‘I can’t think of anything I didn’t do to her; I inflicted physical harm extensively and acted foolishly.’
In the 2011 film “God Bless Ozzy Osbourne,” it was disclosed that he couldn’t recall the birth dates of Louis and Jessica.
Louis recollected, “He was an excellent father when he wasn’t intoxicated, but those moments were few and far between. Mostly, my memories of him are of him being drunk… It wasn’t beneficial for family life.” In the documentary, Jessica briefly commented, “I don’t recall being put to bed or bathed by Dad, nor do I feel he was present for us.
Asked if Ozzy was a good dad, she replied: ‘No.’
In a painful and prolonged process, Ozzy’s divorce from Thelma was underway. However, Sharon – his future manager and daughter – had already entered the picture. Yet, there was still one last attempt at reconciliation with Thelma and their children on a trip to Barbados in 1981.
In my own words, “At five in the evening, I found myself in a state where I couldn’t stand anymore – I was that drunk by six o’clock. Sadly, our marriage came to an end that very year. Later on, I had to admit that Thelma walked away with all our savings and the house, along with every last penny I had in the bank. Despite this, I ensured our children attended a private school. However, my actions left deep scars.
It seems that his connection with Elliot, who relocated from Scotland to New Zealand approximately five years back, has always been tense. Ozzy stated, ‘When I was home, I either yelled at him or gave him a good swat on the ear. But it’s not as if he ever did anything wrong to warrant such treatment. I wish I could have treated him better.’
A year following his divorce, he tied the knot with Sharon. Their first daughter, Aimee, arrived in 1983; she was then followed by Kelly in 1984 and Jack in 1985.

Kelly, Jack, and their mom became well-known in the public eye due to MTV’s series “The Osbournes,” that ran from 2002 to 2005. However, Aimee opted to stay out of the limelight and avoid being filmed.
Louis previously resided in a garden-side apartment within his father’s residence in Beverly Hills, and he has consistently expressed his pride about his father with dignity.
To some degree, he mirrored his father’s path. Abandoning his university education, he opted for a job at a record store instead. It was in Ibiza, in the year 1998, that he secured his major breakthrough as a DJ.
As a budding artist, he was resolute about forging his own path, refusing to leverage his father’s reputation, and has since become a well-respected figure in the world of DJing, music production, and broadcasting.
In 2014, Ozzy openly admitted to the Mail that he had been a less-than-perfect father, an abusive husband, and had an overly inflated ego, reminiscent of India’s size. He confessed to spending much of his life acting foolishly, regretting numerous actions that he can barely recall now. However, he emphasized that his family, particularly his wives and children, hold a special place among those regrets.
Over the span of numerous tumultuous years, I’ve pondered whether members of Ozzy’s original family circle would choose to pay their respects at any tributes honoring the departed rock legend.
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2025-07-26 01:23