Kelly Osbourne has denied that she had an eating disorder, saying she was unable to eat while dealing with grief and a series of personal challenges.
The 41-year-old faced speculation about her health after appearing at the BRIT Awards in February, where her dramatic weight loss prompted some critics to say she looked unwell. She has since revealed that she has gained 13kg.
“I didn’t know that I looked like that until I saw the pictures. When I saw them, I couldn’t f****** believe it. I was as shocked as everyone else,” Osbourne said in a new interview.
Her mother, Sharon Osbourne, previously defended her daughter, saying she was struggling with the death of her father and “she can’t eat right now”.
Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne died from a heart attack in July last year, aged 76. He and Kelly shared a famously close relationship.
Addressing the rumours directly, Kelly Osbourne said her sudden weight loss was not linked to an eating disorder.
“It wasn’t an eating disorder, I just couldn’t do anything for myself. Eating made me feel like I wanted to throw up,” she said.
“I was just asking for a little bit of understanding, because there’s a lot more to the story than meets the eye.”
Kelly Osbourne speaks about grief and body-shaming
Osbourne said the past year had been “the worst year of my life in so many ways”, but added that grief had taught her something about the depth of her love for her father.
“But it’s also been really beautiful because I’ve learned that my grief is an honour, as I truly love someone that much,” she said.
She has also spoken about returning to the UK with her three-year-old son, Sidney, following her split from former Slipknot band member Sid Wilson.
In September, Osbourne said she would never be the same after her father’s death and described the process of rebuilding her life as taking things “one day at a time”.
She said the scrutiny of her appearance had been particularly difficult while she was grieving. “How can you navigate something so cruel when you’re so sick?” she said.
Osbourne said she was now beginning to feel better and had built a strong support network around her.
“I’m getting a lot better. I’ve got all the help I need and I’m grateful for the support I have in my life,” she said.
She also said she had not undergone plastic surgery, apart from having Botox between her eyebrows and in her jaw because she grinds her teeth.
