Following Ozzy Osbourne’s death on July 22, 2025, at age 76, fans are revisiting his early years and his first marriage to Thelma Riley. The couple wed in 1971 after meeting at a Birmingham nightclub. They had two children, Jessica and Louis, and Ozzy adopted Thelma’s son, Elliot.

In his memoir I Am Ozzy, the Black Sabbath legend admitted deep regret over how he treated Thelma. “I put that woman through hell,” he wrote, citing infidelity, substance abuse, and neglect. He also revealed the shame of a violent episode during his battle with addiction, saying, “It wasn’t until I became sober that I truly realized how disgusting my behavior was.”

Their marriage ended in 1982, shortly before Ozzy wed Sharon Osbourne, with whom he had three more children. Despite his success, Ozzy never forgot the pain caused by his first marriage. Sharon once recalled, “When Jack said that he was getting divorced, Ozzy cried. He said, ‘I know how painful it’s going to be.’”

Ozzy’s legacy now lives on not only through his groundbreaking music but also his raw honesty about the struggles and regrets of his past.