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EXCLUSIVE: The Talk's Elaine Welteroth is heard moaning to Sharon Osbourne that she and Sheryl Underwood are 'held to a different standard' as black women and 'expected' to speak up on 'every racist thing'

The Talk co-host Elaine Welteroth bemoaned how she is 'held to a different standard' as a black woman and expected to publicly speak up on race, after she was dragged into a heated debate over Piers Morgan on the daytime talk show.  

The 34-year-old TV personality explained she and co-star Sheryl Underwood are put in 'such a f**ked up position,' during a conversation with then co-host Sharon Osbourne following her explosive on-air confrontation earlier this year.

Osbourne, 68, was seen butting heads with Underwood, 57, during a March 10 episode of the CBS talk show over her defense of longtime friend and fellow Brit Piers Morgan after he was fired for criticizing Meghan Markle. 

The discussion turned heated and ultimately led to Osbourne's departure after Underwood accused her of giving 'validation' to Morgan's allegedly 'racist' views. 

Welteroth, who joined the show in January, weighed in on the debate, telling Osbourne people had taken issue with her decision to stand by her friend rather than holding him accountable.

On Wednesday, audio footage obtained by DailyMail.com revealed Welteroth later consoled a distraught Osbourne in her dressing room after the on-air blowup. 

Scroll down for audio and full transcript  

The Talk co-host Elaine Welteroth bemoaned how she is 'held to a different standard' as a black woman that expects her to publicly speak up on race, an audio recording obtained by DailyMail.com revealed

The Talk co-host Elaine Welteroth bemoaned how she is 'held to a different standard' as a black woman that expects her to publicly speak up on race, an audio recording obtained by DailyMail.com revealed

Sharon Osbourne came under fire on The Talk in March after defending friend Piers Morgan in an on-air debate with co-host Sheryl Underwood, who accused him of making racist remarks

Sharon Osbourne came under fire on The Talk in March after defending friend Piers Morgan in an on-air debate with co-host Sheryl Underwood, who accused him of making racist remarks

Osbourne, who can be heard sobbing, tells her co-host she agreed to comment on the Morgan controversy when asked by showrunners but never imagined she was going to be put in the hot seat and accused of racism.

Welteroth then explains that she and Underwood are put in a difficult spot because they are held to a 'different standard by black people' who count on them to address racial issues even when they don't necessarily want to or know how. 

'Here's the thing that I just want you to just know,' she says in a hot mic recording obtained by DailyMail.com. 

'Sheryl and I are held to a different standard by black people and people of color out there who expect us to say something about every, racist anything... and it puts us in such a f**ked up position.

'That even if we don't have the information, if we don't even really care, if we don't really wanna engage, it feels like there's a spotlight on us, you know?' 

'I think that Sheryl was trying to navigate that line, you know what I mean, where she was like, "this is my friend." I know you're not racist.' 

Welteroth, who also admits showrunners 'made' Underwood ask the question that sparked the heated discussion, then goes on to apologize to Osbourne over the incident and reassures her that she knows she's not racist. 

The bombshell audio recording sheds new light on the drama that saw Osbourne ostracized by her co-stars and ultimately ended her ten-year run on the show.

Welteroth was part of the heated discussion on race during the March 10 episode that saw Osbourne publicly fall out with her co-stars and subsequently end her ten-year run on the show

Welteroth was part of the heated discussion on race during the March 10 episode that saw Osbourne publicly fall out with her co-stars and subsequently end her ten-year run on the show

Osbourne stood up for Morgan on The Talk saying that although she disagreed with him, she supported his right to express his controversial opinion on TV

Osbourne stood up for Morgan on The Talk saying that although she disagreed with him, she supported his right to express his controversial opinion on TV

Osbourne's defense of Morgan resulted in an on-air blowup with Underwood, who accused her of giving 'validation' to 'racist' views

Osbourne's defense of Morgan resulted in an on-air blowup with Underwood, who accused her of giving 'validation' to 'racist' views 

Osbourne had claimed she was 'blindsided' on the show by questions about her tweet supporting friend Piers Morgan after his departure from Good Morning Britain was announced

Osbourne had claimed she was 'blindsided' on the show by questions about her tweet supporting friend Piers Morgan after his departure from Good Morning Britain was announced

The former X Factor judge would later accuse TV producers of setting her up, saying she had been blindsided by Underwood's question asking whether Osbourne had given 'validation' to Morgan's 'racist' remarks by defending him. 

Both Welteroth and Underwood publicly denied the set up allegations and said the question was not included on the co-hosts' index cards. 

In an on-air address weeks later, Welteroth said she and Underwood had been forced to 'stay composed' in the face of 'someone who was not listening' and 'who went off the rails into disrespect' during a 'very complex, charged' conversation. 

She also drew attention to the incident on Twitter, noting it was 'important' to view the situation 'not as a singular instance but as part of larger patterns that exist within a much broader context of what Black women and minorities experience every day.'

The leaked audio, however, reveals Welteroth acknowledged that commenting on such a complex issue on the daytime talk show was out of their scope of expertise and admitted that she was not a 'diversity and inclusion expert.'  

'It was so much. And it's like - I'm not even talking to you now, Sharon...it's like America,' she continues. 

'Black America, White America, Racist America. It's like they're all watching us and there's this pressure to demonstrate how to talk about this stuff, but we haven't ever been guided on how to f**king do this.

'I'm not an D&I diversity and expert. I didn't know I was gonna come on here and be the - I don't know how to do that, actually.' 

Osbourne replies: 'No! Neither do I, I'm just a f**king old woman that has a lot of stories. I don't f**king care if you're an alien. Are you a nice alien? Then come sit down.' 

Welteroth was heard telling Osbourne that the on-air discussion put 'pressure' on the co-hosts to demonstrate how to talk about racial issues even though they've never 'been guided' on how to do soWelteroth in 2015

Welteroth was heard telling Osbourne that the on-air discussion put 'pressure' on the co-hosts to demonstrate how to talk about racial issues even though they've never 'been guided' on how to do so 

In a series of tweets on April 13, Welteroth addressed the incident within the context of race saying black women are often 'painted as villains' even after maintaining their composure and grace 'in the face of disrespect'

 In a series of tweets on April 13, Welteroth addressed the incident within the context of race saying black women are often 'painted as villains' even after maintaining their composure and grace 'in the face of disrespect' 

Yesterday @TheTalkCBS pic.twitter.com/E2spBbOAJe

Later in the conversation, Welteroth tells Osbourne that she had handled herself 'really well' during the discussion by being able to stand up for Morgan in a way that also did not 'alienate' black people.

'On the show you walk this delicate tight rope where you really supported your friend but you didn't alienate people of color who thought you handled yourself really well on the show when you addressed it. Leave it at that,' she says. 

CBS did not return DailyMail.com's request for comment on Wednesday. 

The latest twist in the saga comes years after Welteroth faced backlash over a similar situation when she was an editor at Teen Vogue. 

The TV host, who was the beauty and health director at the time, was criticized by readers in 2015 over her decision to use a light-skinned model to illustrate a feature about African-American hairstyles in the magazine's June/July issue. 

The piece included an article by Welteroth about having her hair braided in Rwanda and the reaction she received upon her return to New York City.  

While the magazine also used photos of several black celebrities in the piece, including Zendaya and Zoe Kravitz, several readers also took issue with the lack of darker-skinned black women. 

Welteroth initially attempted to defend the choice of model in an Instagram post writing: 'How do you define black? Just curious. Is it about skin color? Eye color? Hair texture? I ask because this mixed-race model is as black as I am. '

Welteroth initially attempted to defend the choice of model in an Instagram post writing: 'How do you define black? Just curious. Is it about skin color? Eye color? Hair texture? I ask because this mixed-race model is as black as I am. 'Welteroth faced backlash over a similar situation in 2015 over her decision to use a light-skinned model to illustrate a feature about African-American hairstyles in Teen Vogue's June/July issue

Welteroth faced backlash over a similar situation in 2015 over her decision to use a light-skinned model to illustrate a feature about African-American hairstyles in Teen Vogue's June/July issue

A number of other people also took to social media to voice their unhappiness at Teen Vogue for only using the 'lightest-skinned black' models

A number of other people also took to social media to voice their unhappiness at Teen Vogue for only using the 'lightest-skinned black' models

She later addressed the controversy in an essay admitting she understood why images of a light-skinned girl wearing the Afrocentric hairstyle would strike a chord - especially when taken out of context. 

She later addressed the controversy in an essay admitting she understood why images of a light-skinned girl wearing the Afrocentric hairstyle would strike a chord - especially when taken out of context. 

According to the source who shared the audio recording with DailyMail.com on Wednesday, Welteroth's conversation with Osbourne was captured on her microphone, which was still hot when she visited the distraught British TV star in her dressing room after the show. 

According to the source who shared the audio recording with DailyMail.com on Wednesday, Welteroth's 

She is heard comforting Osbourne and explaining that CBS showrunners had actually asked her to initiate the heated discussion but she refused. 

'They asked me to ask that question. I said, no I'm not going to ask that question,' Welteroth says. 'I said to them, this is going to be a train wreck. 

'Sharon, I'm just so sorry that that went the way that it went.' 

Osbourne, who is in tears, replies: 'Do you know what it is though, when you have to sit there and defend yourself? It makes you look guilty because you can't get out of it.'

Welteroth goes on to try to console Osbourne and reassure her that Underwood 'loves you and respects you so much' despite their on-screen clash.   

'I know you're upset. I know it was terrible, but I just hope that once this blows over that you know Sheryl is your friend. She really is your friend,' she says. 

'She doesn't think you're racist. I don't think you're racist. No one who knows you would ever say that or think that.' 

She also tells Osbourne that she had been aware she was planning to comment on the Piers Morgan controversy but did not know it would play out the way it did.  

'They literally made ask that question. And I thought that she was setting it up in way so that you knew ... I assumed that you guys had had a pre-conversation so that you were on the same page,' Welteroth says. 

She later continues: 'I wanna apologize because I don't know what I said, maybe I didn't say, "I know you're not ."  

'I might have said "I think", but I need you to know I f**king know you're not.'  

A source who shared the footage with DailyMail.com said: 'This is simply outrageous, what Elaine has said publicly and privately to Sharon are two different things.    

'Everyone behind the scenes on the show misses Sharon and wants her to come back, they think it is terribly unfair what has happened to her.'

'This tape truly speaks for itself.' 

Full transcript of Elaine Welteroth's dressing room conversation with Sharon Osbourne after on-air blow up on The Talk

ELAINE WELTWORTH : Hold on. What exactly are we doing right now? Help me understand. 

They asked me to ask that question. I said, no I'm not going to ask that question.

I said, wait, what's the intention of this conversation? Because this could go left so fast.

They go, 'let me call you back.' I said to them, this is going to be a train wreck. 

Oh look at this sweetheart, you can tell. Sharon I am just so sorry that that went the way that it went.

SHARON OSBOURNE : Do you know what it is though, when you have to sit there and defend yourself? It makes you look guilty because you can't get out of it.

It's like Jack always says, it's like calling somebody a pedophile, you can't deny it. What do you say?

JACK OSBOURNE : It's like how do you....'come look at my web browser, I'm not a pedophile,' like, you know?

EW: I don't think... we...we all agree, when you left we were like, there's no way that we should just drowned out by in that conversation without having a altogether.

I thought…I thought - I was told 'Sharon wants to comment on Piers', I go, 'great!' They go, 'OK, is there anything you wanna say?' I was like, no. Not at all.' 

SO: As I was driving in this morning, they said do you want to comment on Piers? I said sure I will. Sure.

Four minutes. Four minutes before I went out, they called me and said, 'you know, some might not agree with your opinion, is that alright for them to air?' 

I said of course it is. We talk whatever they feel. You know, we'll discuss it.

I never thought it was gonna be...that. Because .... whatever you say you just look guilty. And now everybody's gonna have that little seed of doubt: 'well you know, maybe she's a bit racist.' 

EW: 'It's so f**ked up. 

SO: These people here, that run this, have no ethics. They don't care. They just want numbers, numbers, numbers.

EW: Did you speak to them? Did you get anyone on the phone yet?

SO: Nobody's here. Nobody's here, the building ... the offices are empty. 

EW: I just want you to know, Sharon. Sheryl loves you and respects you so much and had your back behind the scenes. She was not trying to attack you.

But I also understand when you had night long of trolls f**king attacking you online, that puts you in a position where you have to defend yourself. You feel like you have to defend yourself. 

And I know you're upset. I know it was terrible, but I just hope that once this blows over, that you know Sheryl is your friend. She really is your friend.

She doesn't think you're racist. I don't think you're racist. No one who knows you would ever say that or think that.

SO: But why couldn't she have said: 'I've known you for 11 years, I know you are not racist' instead of, 'I don't think you are.' No, I know you're not.

There's a huge difference. A f**king night and day difference to know.

I've gone to Sheryl, I've said, 'educate me. I need to know about your heritage. I need to know things.'

She would tell me to get this book and that book and whatever, and she would help me out with things that I didn't quite understand.

When that came, I was like...it was like somebody punched me in the face. 

EW: I don't know if you saw but ran up to me before we got on air and she goes I'm so sorry ...drowned out by phone ….enough time

Then I go, 'we shouldn't be talking about this!'

SO: You said that?

EW: Yeah. That's why I sat there silent thinking... I thought, 'okay, Sharon wants to say something. Let her say the thing and then we'll move on to Selena f**king Gomez.

They literally made her ask that question. And I thought that she was setting it up in way so that you knew - I assumed that you guys had had a pre-conversation so that you were on the same page.

SO: No! No! No! I'm running out. Just as I'm running out - I always go for a wee, four- five minutes before. 

Phone rings: 'How do you feel about not everybody agreeing with you.'

Agreeing with me? Well fine, they can ask me whatever they want. I'm fine.

But that's like....it's not like 'they're gonna accuse you of being a racist.'

EW: Nobody, nobody was even discussing disagreeing with you. At least from me, I can tell you straightforward. They said: 'do you have anything to say?'

I go, 'no. If Sharon wants to comment, Sharon should comment and then we move on to the next topic. 

I have enough s**t going on in my own personal life. To be honest, Sharon, I didn't even read the tweets.

I don't even what people said to you. I only know because people texted me a screenshot and I go, 'okay. okay.' I literally feel nothing.

But here's the one thing - and maybe we talk about this more another day - but the thing I hope you're aware of, because you said in that room you saw something in her eye, you felt like she was coming at you like a journalist. 

Here's the thing that I just want you to just know: Sheryl and I are held to a different standard by black people and people of color out there who expect us to say something about every racist anything... and it puts us in such a f**ked up position.

That even if we don't have the information, if we don't even really care, if we don't really wanna engage, it feels like there's a spotlight on us, you know?

And ... I think that Sheryl was trying to navigate that line, you know what I mean, where she was like, 'this is my friend.' I know you're not racist.

And I hear you though, I will take that to heart. You are right, you wanted to hear 'you are not a racist, Sharon.' We know that.

MAKEUP ARTIST: I actually just explained that to her right now.

EW: Yeah. I think she thinks she said that but she said, 'I don't think you're racist.' And I think she meant the same thing.

SO: 'I know' and 'I don't think'...is like this far away.

EW: And really, that's an enlightening moment for me to hear you say that. I wanna apologize because I don't know what I said, maybe I didn't say 'I know you're not'. 

I might have said 'I think', but I need you to know I f**ing know you're not.

SO: I know that!

EW: I f**king know you're not!

SO: I know that. Now I feel the big picture. I know what happened. I know what happened. 

MAKEUP ARTIST: She just told me she got a call at 4 in the morning. It just went f**ing haywire.

SO: No, they set me up. CBS set me up. And they don't care because they just want ratings. They don't care. They don't care that I will now have to go around and people think I'm racist. They don't give a s**t. They just want ratings. That's all.

EW: And that's the part that's inhumane. I was like, don't f**king make us talk about Selena Gomez after this. This is inhumane.

SO: You said that. You did.

MAKEUP ARTIST: Yeah. I heard you say that. I agree 100 on that. How do you transition?

EW: Yeah we're not actors. You don't pay me to be a f**king Oscar-winning actress. No.

MAKEUP ARTIST: That's right. Yeah you did say that. 

EW: No. It felt like we were all set up - particularly you - but I also felt set up because I was like sitting there and Sheryl goes, 'what would you like to say?'

I'm like...what the f**k? I don't have nothing to say. Why are we having this conversation right now?

MAKEUP ARTIST: But even that second sectors.. I was like change topics! Just change it. Don't even ask ... It was just a lot.

EW: It was so much. And it's like - I'm not even talking to you now, Sharon. I'm not talking ... it's like America. 

Black America, White America, Racist America, it's like they're like they're all watching us and there's this pressure to demonstrate how to talk about this stuff, but we haven't ever been guided on how to f**king do this.

I'm not an D&I diversity and expert. I didn't know I was gonna come on here and be the - I don't know how to do that, actually.

SO: No! Neither do I, I'm just a f**king old woman background that has a lot of stories. I don't f**king care if you're an alien. Are you a nice alien? Then come sit down.

I don't give a ... I just don't judge by anything. How can I be a judge of anybody with my heritage? I can't. And it's like, for numbers, for ratings, they have done this.

MAKEUP ARTIST: Well it's your character. This is like who you are as a person and that's so not anything... 

JO: But it's CBS offering up one of their own so they don't have to make an apology. CBS didn't wanna have to make it because everyone is so terrified of fanning the flames of the mob that they just went 'alright, let's just f**king serve her up to her own team that way we don't have to say anything. Like 'oh it handled itself.'

EW: That's right. You're right about that. Because for me I was confused.

When somebody texted me this tweet, I looked at it and I was confused, Sharon, because I thought someone was quoting something you said on the show and I go, 'she didn't say that.'

And then I look more carefully and say, oh she tweeted that. And to me, I'm like, that's her platform.

If you say that on your platform and you're dealing with trolls your dealing with controversy, that's your business in your own platform. But why are we addressing things on the show that she didn't say on the show? 

On the show, you walk this delicate tight rope where you really supported your friend but you didn't alienate people who were people of color who thought you handled yourself really well on the show when you addressed it. Leave it at that.

MAKEUP ARTIST: It happened. It should've just been a statement and then move on.

EW: Maybe it's like, 'hey Sharon, you wanna comment on it. Comment on your Twitter, let's just leave it there or something. 

Or if you really want us to talk about this - thank you. Is my face looking crazy?

LAUGHTER/ 

Who knows what I look like right now. 

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