Roger Waters recently defended his controversial comments about Ozzy Osbourne during a heated exchange with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.
The founding member of Pink Floyd criticized Osbourne several weeks after his death last summer during an appearance on The Independent Ink podcast, stating that the Prince of Darkness was “all over the TV for hundreds of years with his idiocy and nonsense” and expressed his dislike for Black Sabbath’s music.
Both Jack and Sharon Osbourne have condemned Waters for his remarks, but he has now defended everything he said during a lengthy conversation on Piers Morgan Uncensored.
What Did Roger Waters Say in Defense of His Ozzy Osbourne Comments?
Morgan and Waters debated a myriad of global topics during the discussion, from Iran to Russia and beyond. Toward the end of the chat, Morgan brought up the comments Waters made about Osbourne, adding that he took them personally because the Prince of Darkness had been his friend for a long time.
“You’ve referenced the word ’empathy’ a few times,” Morgan said to Waters, as he read the exact quote the musician said about Osbourne before asking, “Do you think that was empathetic?”
Waters insisted that his comments were made during a very long interview, though he did not deny making them.
“Do I have to like every rock group there ever was in the world?” Waters asked in response.
Morgan then played a clip of Sharon addressing Waters’ remarks during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, where she stated, “I just thought with anybody that passes that has a family, you don’t do that.”
What Did Waters Say in Response to the Clip of Sharon Osbourne?
Waters admitted that he didn’t think Sharon would have seen his interview with The Independent Ink podcast. When Morgan asked if he would apologize for what he said, Waters replied, “Yeah of course I will.”
“Not that I have any time for Sharon Osbourne; she’s a raging Zionist and consequently… she’s accused me of all kinds of things,” he continued. “Because she’s part of the Israeli lobby.”
Waters then retracted his willingness to apologize but expressed his openness to having a conversation with Jack if he wanted to.
“I’m sorry you lost your dad, Jack. But you have conversations about things and about people. ‘What do you think?’ Well, not a lot. I was honest. I said I didn’t like Black Sabbath… I’ve listened to some of it since and the music is perfectly kind of acceptable. It was all the kind of histrionics. I just don’t like people who bite the heads off bats. I just don’t; I think it’s disgusting,” Waters added.
Morgan asked Waters if he feels regret for his words and for causing pain to the Osbourne family, to which he responded that he regrets “nothing in life.”
See the full discussion below.
Roger Waters Defends Controversial Ozzy Osbourne Comments in Heated Exchange With Piers Morgan
What Did Waters Say About Ozzy Osbourne Last Summer?
Waters’ conversation with The Independent Ink podcast was published roughly six weeks after Osbourne’s death. The Prince of Darkness came into the discussion when the Pink Floyd founder explained how pop culture icons distract people from important world issues.
“How can we push this to one side? I know how to do it! We’ll do it with Taylor Swift or bubble gum or Kim Kardashian’s bum… Or Ozzy Osbourne, who just died, bless him, in whatever state he was in his whole life; we’ll never know. Although, he was all over the TV for hundreds of years with his idiocy and nonsense.”
He went on to say he “couldn’t give a fuck” about Black Sabbath’s music and has no interest in anyone who bites the heads off animals.
What Did the Osbourne Family Say in Response to Waters' Comments?
Jack shared a response to Waters on social media, which read, “Hey Roger Waters — fuck you. How pathetic and out of touch you’ve become. The only way you seem to get attention these days is by vomiting out bullshit in the press. My father always thought you were a cunt — thanks for proving him right.”
READ MORE: Sharon Osbourne Had Extreme Revenge Plan After Roger Waters Dissed Ozzy
During the Osbourne family’s first podcast episode together after Ozzy’s death, Sharon added about Waters, “He has no charisma; he looks like Frankenstein. The guy is sick in the head; he is not relevant in today’s world. Nobody likes him. [He’s] boring, no charisma; he’s got no stage presence… [he’s] envious and he’s just a bad seed.”
They even designed a T-shirt for Osbourne’s online web store that depicted Ozzy peeing a rainbow on a wall resembling the cover art on Pink Floyd’s The Wall, with the quote, “Another Prick in the Wall.”
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