Ozzy Osbourne Admits He Wasn’t There for Family Amid Addiction Despite Being ‘the Most Important Person’ in Resurfaced Interview

Ozzy Osbourne, who battled with alcoholism and drug addiction in the 1970s, eventually achieved sobriety. However, during those difficult years, he admitted in a resurfaced interview that he failed to show up for his family in the way they needed him to.

Ozzy’s struggle with addiction was so intense that even after several stints in rehab, he continued to relapse. For a time, Sharon believed recovery was possible. In the early attempts, she held out hope that each stay in rehab would be the breakthrough he needed.

“And then after about the fifth time I’m like, ‘He’s never going to get it.’ And you just accept it. That’s the way it’s going to be,” she admitted.

Ozzy later came to understand the toll his addiction had taken on his family, calling it “a very selfish disease.” “My kids needed me. … I had a row with Jack. I had to talk business. And I said, ‘What have you ever [expletive] wanted? I’ll give you whatever you want.’ He says, ‘What about a father?'” Ozzy recalled.

Jack’s response left him stunned and overwhelmed with guilt as he realized just how deeply his absence had affected his children. “I’d give whatever materialistic things they ever wanted. But the most important person wasn’t there,” he acknowledged.

Ozzy did, in time, manage to achieve sobriety. When Sharon was asked what it was like to have a sober Ozzy, she said, “Very calm in the house. It’s very pleasant in the house. It’s great for our whole family. It really is.”

Now, Jack has also shared kind words about his father. He had attended a screening of Ozzy’s new documentary “The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne” in Birmingham on July 4, where he had the opportunity to present it to the audience alongside the director.

While at the Millennium Point Centre in Birmingham, Jack reflected on his father, “What are my three words to describe my dad? I would say funny, unique and powerful. He is an incredible man. He really is. His contribution to music is bigger than his faults. This whole weekend has been emotional.”

The screening of “The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne” took place just a day before the “Back to the Beginning” concert, which would turn out to be the singer’s final live performance.

Jack also spoke about the upcoming Ozzy biopic, a project that will now hold even deeper meaning for fans. The film has gained significant momentum, with a completed script, a director attached, and Sony Studios set to produce it.

“We are really excited about it so maybe we will do the premiere here in Birmingham. It is about to go through a script rewrite. It’s going to be raw. We are not pulling any punches, we are really laying it all out. The director we have is absolutely phenomenal,” shared Jack.

The director, a devoted fan of Ozzy, even shares some of his tattoos, a detail Jack sees as a sign that the project is in the right hands. If everything goes according to plan, filming could begin in the spring, with hopes for a release in summer 2027.

Tragically, Ozzy will never get to see the film that tells the story of his extraordinary life. The legendary rocker sadly passed away on July 22, 2025, at the age of 76.

The family announced via a short statement on X, “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis.”

Before his passing, Ozzy had developed a closer bond with his children and grandchildren. His son Jack shares three daughters, Pearl, Andy, and Minnie, with his ex-wife Lisa Stelly, and a fourth daughter, Maple, with his wife Aree Gearhart.

Jack had divulged that while Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne had been open to babysitting his daughters, there were certain conditions. They preferred caring for the girls at their own home rather than Jack’s, as it had been easier for them.

Sharon was also fine handling diaper changes, but Ozzy had a firm no-diaper rule, holding on to traditional views that such tasks weren’t for fathers.

Jack also revealed that Ozzy had a strict boundary when it came to his granddaughters climbing into bed to watch TV. If the girls had wanted to cuddle up with Sharon, Ozzy would remove himself from the situation entirely, believing it inappropriate. Jack respected that boundary, acknowledging it as simply part of who his father was.

Jack adored his dad, and the final post he shared before Ozzy’s death announced, was steeped in nostalgia. In it, he looked back on their early days in the home that would eventually become his family home and the setting for the iconic MTV reality show “The Osbournes.”

Appearing on the “Trying Not To Die” podcast, Jack recounted his unusual introduction to the Beverly Hills mansion.

At the time, he believed the house belonged to a man who claimed to be the President of the Congo and went by the name “President Bongo.” No such Congolese leader has ever existed, but the man Jack referenced, and who appeared in the photos he shared, was actually a president of Gabon, Ali Bongo.

Still, the story stuck with Jack, especially because the house was filled with photos of exotic animals, including pet lions. He also remembered discovering campaign T-shirts inside the man’s closet, one of which he took as a bizarre souvenir, supposedly bearing the slogan: “President Bongo, for the Congo.”

Aside from Jack’s post, Ozzy Osbourne’s final Instagram update also drew attention. Shared just one day before his passing, the message is now being seen by fans as a poignant farewell.

The image, posted without a caption, featured a backstage hallway leading to a door. Hanging above it was a sign with the words, “Back to the Beginning — The Final Show.”

The sign included the names of the original Black Sabbath members: Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bill Ward. The hallway, lined with silhouettes of trophies and a visible pink arrow on the floor, appeared to mark a path — possibly one walked during a final tour event or rehearsal.

The placement of the sign, paired with its wording, has left fans believing that Osbourne used the post as a subtle farewell to his decades-long career and the public.

In the wake of the legendary musician’s death, the post’s comment section is overflowing with tributes. Many fans have shared their emotional responses.

One person wrote, “He said one final goodbye, rested and passed with his loved ones by his side. I can’t think of a better way to spend your final days. Rest in Peace, Ozzy 🖤🖤🖤.” Another added, “He got to say goodbye… 💔”

“He did really retire.. rest in peace Ozzy,” read one comment. “last concert was what he needed to let go [sic],” noted another netizen.

With no caption and no further context, Ozzy’s final post now stands as a silent nod to the end of a musical legacy that began with Black Sabbath and spanned more than five decades. Though brief, the image and its timing have resonated with many, becoming a symbol of his final bow.