Sources have told Page Six that the aftermath of this argument played a role in Elaine’s decision to leave the show.
“There was a lot of tension, particularly when Osbourne[‘s camp allegedly] leaked a tape of Elaine comforting her after the incident,” one source said. “People thought [Elaine] was playing both sides of the fence, and there was a [general] consensus that she threw CBS under the bus.”
At the time of Sharon’s departure, a tape was leaked showing Elaine comforting Sharon in the aftermath of the encounter. Although the video was described as a “hot mic” moment, one source told Page Six that the video was actually leaked by Sharon’s camp in an effort to make her look more sympathetic.
For her part, Elaine told Entertainment Tonight that she was “disheartened” that her attempt to act kindly to her co-host had been taken out of context and weaponized.