Ozzy Osbourne once considered suicide after botched neck surgery left him unable to perform
Ozzy Osbourne once considered suicide because of a botched neck surgery that prevented him from performing. (Francesco Castaldo/Archivio Francesco Castaldo/Mondadori via Getty Images)
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Help is available.
Rock icon Ozzy Osbourne revealed in an upcoming Paramount+ documentary that he once contemplated suicide after a botched neck surgery left him unable to perform — the very thing he loved most.
In “Ozzy: No Escape From Now,” set for release soon, the late Black Sabbath frontman—who died in July at age 76—spoke candidly about his depression following multiple health setbacks. “The thought of not doing any gigs anymore – I went really into depression,” he said. “I’m on antidepressants now, actually. Because I was getting ready to off myself at some point.”
The legendary heavy metal singer endured years of serious health issues. In 2003, he nearly died in an ATV crash at his London estate. He suffered a severe fall in 2019, requiring surgery, and underwent additional operations in 2022 and September 2023.
In the documentary, Osbourne also reflects on his dark humor even during bleak times. “I’ll go [to suicide] in my head and I go, ‘What are you f—ing talking about?’ Because knowing me, I’d half-do it, and I’d be half-dead… I wouldn’t die, you know. That’s my luck.”
His wife, Sharon Osbourne, explained that complications from the neck surgeries contributed significantly to his decline. “Surgical screws and metal plates were used which didn’t need doing,” she said. Their son Jack added that the nerve damage from the procedure worsened his condition: “That f—ing doctor just stripped him of his ability to move.”
In early 2023, Osbourne canceled his European and U.K. tour dates, acknowledging that while his singing voice remained strong, his body could no longer handle the travel despite extensive treatments, including stem cell therapy and a robotic exoskeleton known as Hybrid Assistive Limb.
Osbourne died on July 22 at his home, surrounded by family. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” the family said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
According to The Daily Mail, the musician wished to be buried by a lake on his 250-acre property. During a private memorial, a massive floral tribute on the grounds spelled out: “OZZY F—ING OSBOURNE” along the lakeshore.
Osbourne had long spoken about his desire for a lighthearted farewell. In a 2011 Times column, he wrote that he wanted his funeral to be a celebration rather than a “mope-fest,” even joking about pranks like playing knocking sounds from inside the coffin or a video of himself asking his doctor for a “second opinion” on his diagnosis of death.
“I don’t care what they play at my funeral; they can put on a medley of Justin Bieber, Susan Boyle and We Are the Diddymen if it makes them happy,” he wrote at the time. “It’s worth remembering that a lot of people see nothing but misery their whole lives. So by any measure, most of us—especially rock stars like me—are very lucky. That’s why I don’t want my funeral to be sad. I want it to be a time to say ‘thanks.’”
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