Ozzy Osbourne responds to online death hoax: ‘I’m not dead’

Black Sabbath frontman quoted ‘Monty Python’ as he hit back at false report

A disgruntled Ozzy Osbourne was forced to debunk reports of his demise, after stumbling across his own image in an “in memoriam” video online.

The Black Sabbath frontman, 75, can be heard in the latest episode ofThe Osbournes podcast informing his family about the video.

“I put it on and I died!” he said. “The thing on YouTube, which goes, ‘Celebrities Who Have Died Today,’ and there’s a picture of me.”

Osbourne then referenced Monty Python and the Holy Grail, joking: “I’m not dead. I’m not really dead… just a little flesh wound.’”

“I’m not dead,” he continued. “I’m not going any-f****ing-where and I’m going to go do some more gigs before I’m finished anyway.”

Osbourne’s son, Jack, saw a positive side to the attempt at rumour-spreading, commenting: “What’s been really good about the podcast, I’ve noticed that whenever any of the s*** newspapers or whatever write, ‘Oh, Ozzy’s brink of death’ or whatever and they get him papped like walking into a doctor’s appointment…

“If you read the comments, everyone’s like, ‘This is bulls***. You should listen to him on the podcast. He’s f***ing fine. These people are f***ing liars. Stop writing fake news.’”

Osbourne’s wife, Sharon Osbourne, branded them “sick f***ers”.

(Getty Images for SiriusXM)

Earlier this year, Osbourne announced that he had been forced to cancel a string of European and UK tour dates due to ongoing health issues.

“My one and only purpose during this time has been to get back on stage,” he wrote in a statement shared to social media.

“My singing voice is fine. However, after three operations, stem cell treatments, endless physical therapy and most recently groundbreaking Cybernics (HAL) Treatment, my body is still physically weak.”

Osbourne revealed he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2020, a year after suffering injuries to his neck and back in a fall.

He has since undergone various surgeries, telling fans in September that the latest would be his last.

“It is going to be the final surgery because I can’t do it anymore, regardless of the way it ends up after tomorrow,” he said.

“I’m not going to do it anymore, I can’t,” he added. “It’s just like going to have a haircut now,” he said of being used to surgery.

Updating fans on his health, Osbourne said that his condition has improved “somewhat”.

He also mocked comments that he is “on his last legs”.

“The paps wait to ambush me everywhere,” he said. “There’s always some precarious photo where my mouth’s half open and I’m bent over.

“I’m far from being on my last legs.”