
Let's Give Sheryl Underwood Her Flowers For Properly Handling Sharon Osbourne's Tantrum On 'The Talk'

Oh, Sheryl, Sheryl, Sheryl. Sis. Come get these flowers, girl. You deserve them all.
If you haven't heard by now, Sheryl Underwood was on the tail end of a Sharon Osbourne meltdown on The Talk this week. Basically, Osbourne lost her mind while standing up for her friend Piers Morgan, in the wake of backlash following remarks he made about Meghan Markle. And since, Osbourne has been whining to anyone who'll listen, that she's being accused of being racist (which Sheryl never alluded to and is what seems to be what she cares more about, versus actually listening).
Of course, she denies being racist blah, blah, blah, watch the clip below:
Chiiiiiiiiiile, the audacity. The demands. I can'ttttt.
Anyway, the conversation ends with Osbourne asking, "Why can't it be he just doesn't like her? Why does he have to be racist?" Which would be a legit question, if we weren't talking about Piers Morgan.
Upset, upset, mad, mad, tears, and tears, who cares, this post is about the Queen Sheryl Underwood, one of the most prolific, comedic gems of the culture. Let's give her some flowers, y'all.
Having joined CBS' The Talk in 2011, Sheryl Underwood, 57, is known for her big personality and stating her opinions. And she has been a vocal ally to disproportionate black issues, never letting up, and always ringing true. She has clawed her way out of her traumatic past, and has a mean pivot game. All the way to a legendary comedy career.
Here's why we love Sheryl:
She is an advocate for trauma survivors:
The Talk/CBS
Underwood has survived being raped, her husband's suicide, and developing multiple personality disorders to cope with her trauma.
"I will tell you this, sometimes certain disorders protect you. When I was younger, the things that were happening to me, I would separate. So there were two of us. Because I wanted to survive. So one was the fighter. One was, something was happening to me. So I hope that this helps people, and I hope that it helps people understand that the human brain will do whatever is necessary to survive. I really want women to understand: Don't ever let anybody take your power away from you."
On an episode with The Talk panel, while discussing her past trauma, Sheryl recounted the time she was raped, and having to think her way through the moment.
"I remember having a 'this is it' moment when I was raped. I just kept thinking, This ain't it. I am not going to die today. I refuse to die today. It's not going down like this. So the only thing I thought was: What do I do to survive? What do I do to survive? And I start talking to the guy and I said, 'Don't do this this way. Whatever you're going to do, finish what you're doing — don't kill me. And don't take my ID. They'll find you."
Despite her upbringing, she always knew she would be famous:
When asked how she has been intentional in building her brand, she touched on her inevitable fame:
"I knew I was going to be in the entertainment industry, even as a child; but along the way I told myself that I would be sincere, authentic, and trustworthy. Even when I've stumbled and made not-so-good comments like the one I made about natural hair, I've apologized because I work hard to serve my community. I'm intentional about building honest and sincere relationships.
She supports HBCUs tirelessly:
Underwood may have graduated from the University of Illinois, but that absolutely doesn't stop her from publicly advocating for HBCUs. Additionally, she was the international president of Zeta Phi Beta from 2008-2012. Sheryl understands the impact HBCUs have played in black culture, and she knows that now more than ever, HBCUs need financial support, even recently partnering with Metamucil to donate.
"I believe that once we show these large companies that it is mutually beneficial for them to engage HBCUs, maybe we can get them to do more. We want to make sure we do all we can do to keep our historically Black colleges and universities alive. I didn't go to one; but once I joined Zeta Phi Beta and got to see the chapters on the HBCU campuses, I knew that I had to advance higher education and work with companies that were trying to do that."
Underwood has fund-raised for multiple HBCUs through various vehicles, and we love to see it!
And most importantly, she has risen to the occasion of learning to embrace being a proud black woman on a large platform:
What I mean is this: Underwood comes from brokenness. She has been tormented for her features and looks since she was born. She has been called every negative thing under the sun. She has experienced the ridicule of colorism, in, and outside of the Black community. And she's had to learn some lessons as she goes, which we all have. But ultimately, our good sis cares about the culture--even in those moments where it may be easier to look away, Sharon Osbourne incident aside.
And for that, I fucks with her the long way. Come get these flowers, sis!
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Featured image by CBS
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
Ashley Versher is known for her work in the Tyler Perry's Beauty In Black series and more recently, she starred alongside Taraji P. Henson in the Netflix film Straw. But she is more than just her acting credits and stunning looks (her hair alone is everything). In an xoNecole exclusive, Ashley dishes on her first celebrity crush, how she spends her downtime, and her go-to haircare products because we need the deets.
Get to know Ashley below.
xoNecole: Where are you from?
Ashley Versher: San Francisco - BAY AREAAAAAA!!!!
xoN: What was your first major acting role?
AV: A 49ers Super Bowl commercial - I think I was 3.
Ashley Versher
Johnny Marlow
xoN: Have you ever had an embarrassing or funny audition story? If so, what happened?
AV: Yes! I was doing a self-tape once and I forgot to take off my bonnet. But the tape was so good I sent it in anyway.
xoN: Your hair is gorgeous. What has it been like navigating Hollywood with natural hair?
AV: Thank you so much! Navigating Hollywood with natural hair has definitely been a journey of self-discovery. Early on, I had to make a conscious decision about how I wanted to show up—not just in this industry, but for myself. Once I fully embraced my natural hair and committed to the journey, everything else began to align. It’s been nothing short of empowering.
Navigating Hollywood with natural hair has definitely been a journey of self-discovery. Early on, I had to make a conscious decision about how I wanted to show up—not just in this industry, but for myself.
xoN: What are your favorite go-to hair products?
AV: Ooooooo, right now I’m loving Camille Rose’s Jai Twisting Butter—it’s super moisturizing and gives me a fun, bouncy twist-out! I’ve also recently gotten into oils, and I’m especially loving sweet almond oil.
xoN: We know you as an actress, but what is another special talent you have that most people don't know about?
AV: I trained as a classical violinist for 13/14years.
xoN: Who is your hero?
AV: My mom. She’s incredible - full stop.
Ashley Versher
Johnny Marlow
xoN: How do you like to spend your down time?
AV: Ha! What’s that!? Jk jk, I love to travel, that’s honestly my favorite thing.
xoN: Who was your first celebrity crush?
AV: Prince.
xoN: What is your dream role?
AV: One day I will play a witch with Harry Potter-like powers!
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Feature image by Johnny Marlow