Two years back, Carlos Watson, co-founder and CEO of Ozy Media, informed CNBC throughout a live tv broadcast that heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne and his spouse, music market supervisor and previous talk program host Sharon Osbourne, ended up being pals with him and purchased his business after a legal fight.
“Fun fact: our friend Ozzy and Sharon sued us briefly, and then we decided to be friends and now they’re investors in Ozy,” Watson stated on CNBC at the time. (You can see the video above.)
It ends up none of that held true, according to Sharon Osbourne, who spoke with CNBC on Thursday simply as hedge fund honcho Marc Lasry stopped as Ozy Media’s chairman.
Lasry’s resignation, and the discovery from Sharon Osbourne, came days after The New York Times reported that an Ozy executive had actually impersonated a You Tube authorities on a February call with Goldman Sachs over a prospective $40 million financial investment. Beyond Lasry’s resignation, seasoned reporter Katty Kay has resigned from Ozy Media and financier SV Angel has actually chosen it’s quiting its shares in the business.
“This guy is the biggest shyster I have ever seen in my life,” Osbourne stated, describing Watson, simply after CNBC addressed her call. Osbourne stated she had actually evaluated Watson’s claim after CNBC connected to her group with the information in the wake of the different debates surrounding Ozy Media.
Ozzy Osbourne and Sharon Osbourne reveal that Ozzfest 2007 will be complimentary. The statement was made throughout an interview at the Century Plaza hotel in Los Angeles, California on February 6, 2007.
Jason Merritt/ TERM|FilmMagic|Getty Images
The Osbournes submitted a hallmark suit in 2017 over the name Ozy Fest, which is Ozy Media’s yearly show and celebration. The Osbournes had for years produced a metal music celebration called Ozzfest, which has actually included acts such as Ozzy Osbourne’s initial band Black Sabbath, Tool and Slayer.
Sharon Osbourne informed CNBC that Watson attempted to frighten her in the middle of the match being submitted, stating that his business has a lots of resources and might extract the legal fight a lot that the household would have needed to continue to pay inflated legal costs.
Osbourne stated the 2 sides settled after the couple ended up paying around $300,000 in legal costs over the hallmark fight in between Ozy Media and the Osbournes’ business.
The Wrap reports that court files submitted versus Ozy Media at the time declare the Ozy Fest hallmarks “are almost similar in sight, noise, undertone and industrial impression to MLC’s [Monowise Limited Corp.] popular Ozzfest mark.”
Court files state the settlement can be found in2018 Osbourne shown CNBC the information of the arrangement.
“He couldn’t have the sort of artists that we have on our bill,” Osbourne stated, describingWatson “So he couldn’t have any rock artists or alternative artists on his bill. Because he was starting to take rap artists and we’ve had a few rap artists on. So I’m like ‘this is getting ridiculous now.’ So, he had to approve the bills with me and he had to approve the advertising with me.”
An Ozy Media representative did not return duplicated e-mails looking for talk about Osbourne’s remarks.
Carlos Watson speaks onstage throughout HISTORYTalk s Leadership & & Legacy provided by HISTORY at Carnegie Hall on February 29, 2020 in New York City.
Noam Galai|Getty Images
Watson and his business have actually been under increasing examination because a report by The New York Times detailed a variety of debates at OzyMedia The report explains a circumstances when an Ozy Media executive apparently impersonated a You Tube agent in a call with Goldman Sachs, which was considering purchasing Watson’s company. The FBI has actually supposedly begun penetrating the call.
In a tweet Monday, Watson called the Times short article a “hitjob.” He hasn’t tweeted because.
Watson, a previous MSNBC factor and CNN host, established Ozy Media in2013 The business produces online posts and tv programs. It has actually brought in assistance from a number of prominent financiers and stars, such as previous New York Yankees slugger AlexRodriguez Joe Biden,Dr Anthony Fauci and Mark Cuban have actually appeared at Ozy Fest occasions.
In 2019, Watson, while sitting beside Ozy financier and its ultimate chairman, Lasry, informed CNBC that after the suit was settled with the star couple, they ended up being financiers in his company. Lasry, a hedge fund supervisor and co-owner of the NBA champ Milwaukee Bucks, was called chair of Ozy Media’s board in September.
After he was asked whether the Osbournes purchased Ozy, Watson stated: “Now they’re investors. They’re part of the family.” He was appearing on CNBC to promote Ozy Fest, which was set to happen in New York at the time. CNBC was the media partner for Ozy Fest 2019, which was canceled due to severe heat.
Osbourne, herself a long time TELEVISION character, stated that neither she nor her hubby have actually ever been investors in the business. Sharon Osbourne left the daytime program “The Talk” this year following a heated discussion on air and an internal examination.
( L-R) Samantha Bee, Mark Cuban, CEO and Co-Founder Carlos Watson, and Jeb Bush speak onstage throughout OZY FEST 2017 Presented By OZY.com at Rumsey Playfield on July 22, 2017 in New York City.
Bryan Bedder|Getty Images
“We’re not ever, ever a friend, and we don’t have any interest in his company,” Osbourne stated in reaction to Watson’s declares in the CNBC interview. When asked whether she and her hubby have actually ever purchased Watson’s business, Osbourne stated: “You must be joking. No way did we invest in anything.”
Osbourne stated her hubby, Ozzy Osbourne, has actually never ever spoken or consulted with Carlos Watson, while she and Watson have actually just spoken over the phone.
“He’s insane,” Osbourne stated aboutWatson She kept in mind that throughout the legal fight he did provide her shares of the business however she decreased.
“To be honest, he did say, ‘Well we’ll give you shares in the company, but I said ‘your company is worth nothing.’ He said, ‘We have all this backing. All these billionaire people. And you know we can keep on suing you and I can give you some shares.’ But I’m like, ‘Shares in what? What do you do?'”
Watson, according to Osbourne, consistently attempted these methods throughout the discussions.
“Then he informs me he’s got billions behind him since his primary investor of the business is the spouse of a person that passed away [and ran] Apple,” Osbourne stated, describing Emerson Collective’s Laurene PowellJobs He likewise utilized Powell Jobs’ wealth as an intimidation aspect, according toOsbourne “We’ve got her money behind us. I’ll fight you all the way,” Osbourne stated Watson informed her.
“I’m like, ‘But it’s not right you’ve stolen this name,'” Osbourne stated.
Watson has actually appeared on CNBC many times, consisting of in January of this year– when he was on a panel with Ben Smith, The New York Times editor who broke the story over the weekend about the Goldman Sachs call.
— CNBC’s Dan Mangan added to this short article.
