Kelly Osbourne hits back at body shamers: 'I won't allow myself to be dehumanised'

Kelly Osbourne has spoken out against a wave of negative social media comments, revealing she is currently enduring "the hardest time in my life" following the death of her father, Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne. The TV star's emotional plea came after she and her mother, Sharon Osbourne, accepted a posthumous lifetime achievement award for Ozzy at the Brit Awards on Saturday.

Reports indicate that Osbourne faced online criticism, including remarks about her appearance, in the wake of the ceremony.

Taking to her Instagram story on Sunday, she posted a message to her 4.4 million followers, stating: "There is a special kind of cruelty in harming someone who is clearly going through something. Kicking me while I’m down, doubting my pain, spreading my struggles as gossip, and turning your back when I need support and love most. None of it proves strength; it only reveals a profound absence of compassion and character. I’m currently going through the hardest time in my life. I should not even have to defend myself. But I won’t sit here and allow myself to be dehumanised in such a way."

PA

Ozzy Osbourne, known as the Prince of Darkness, died aged 76 in July last year, having been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2019. At the Brit Awards, Sharon remembered her late husband as "authentic, gifted and unpredictable", while Kelly thanked the audience for loving her father "as much as we do", adding a nod to his beloved football team: "I hope I don’t disrespect Manchester by saying this, but up the Villa and Birmingham forever."

This is not the first time Osbourne has addressed online abuse, having previously shared screenshots of negative comments. The music icon’s death, reportedly from a heart attack on 22 July, followed a period of significant health challenges, including multiple surgeries after a fall in February 2019.