First Wife of British Musician & Rock Icon Ozzy Osbourne

Thelma Riley | Biography

Married to Ozzy Osbourne from 1971 to 1982

• By Reena Chikanbanjar
• Update : March 25, 2022

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British educator Thelma Riley is recognized as the first wife of British musician and rock icon Ozzy Osbourne.

Who is Thelma Riley?

Thelma Riley, also known as Thelma Osbourne and Thelma Mayfair, is the ex-wife of Ozzy Osbourne and a professional school teacher. She was born on 17 May 1954 in England. She was married to Black Sabbath's lead vocalist Ozzy Osbourne from 1971 to 1982. Her relationship with the famous singer brought her into the limelight. 

After meeting for the first time in 1971, Riley and Osbourne dated for a few months, and they married in July of the same year. They went on to have two children together, Jessica and Louis. However, the couple divorced in 1982 after facing many challenges due to Osbourne's substance abuse and cheating habit.

She Is Ozzy Osbourne’s First Wife

Osbourne gained fame in the 1970s with the rising popularity of their heavy metal band Black Sabbath. Riley first met Osbourne at a nightclub, Rum Runner in Birmingham, in 1971. At that time, she worked at the same nightclub. She had a son named Elliot Kinsley from her previous relationship.

After meeting for the first time, they dated for a few months and got married in July of the same year. Osbourne adopted his first wife’s five-year-old son Elliot after their marriage. The couple also gave birth to two children - one daughter and one son. They welcomed their daughter Jessica Starshine Osbourne in 1972 and their son Louis John Osbourne in 1975. 

"Shortly after I became successful with Black Sabbath, I met Thelma in a nightclub. Then we got married, and we had two children, Jessica and Louis. We bought a house for 20,000 pounds. I thought, 'I have arrived.' Not realizing it was a giant mirage. Something ain't feeling right," said Osbourne about his marriage with Riley.

Ozzy Osbourne’s Drug Abuse And Cheating Scandals Destroyed Her 11 Years Of Marriage With Him

In 1979, Osbourne was expelled from Black Sabbath due to his substance abuse issues. Nevertheless, he pursued a successful solo career after leaving the band.

Osbourne's substance abuse also affected his personal life. Their marriage was engulfed in cheating scandals, and the inability of Osbourne to cater proper time to their relationship crumbled their marriage. His relationship with Riley ended in 1982. They divorced in 1982. Their children also stated that Osbourne had not been a good father. 

In a 2011 documentary called God Bless Ozzy Osbourne (which was produced by Osbourne's son Jack from his second wife Sharon Arden), Louis reminisces that his father's drinking behavior had ruined his childhood. 

Jessica also recalls that her father missed their important childhood memories: "I don't remember being put to bed or having a bath by dad or anything like that. I wouldn't say he was there for us, no, never on sports day, school trip, parents' evening. He wasn't like that, no." 

Osbourne also admits that he couldn't stand up to be a good father, and he doesn’t even remember when his children Louis and Jessica were born. 

He also confesses in his 2009 autobiography I Am Ozzy that marrying Riley was "a terrible mistake" and that he had put her "through hell." He says that his drug and alcohol abuse took a huge toll on his family life.

"I thought money would buy everything, would fix everything … but money would buy the alcohol and the drugs, and I behaved f*cking badly. The way I treated Thelma, it was wrong. I treated her really badly and the kids, two children. I was a very selfish, self-centered, egotistical guy, and I f**ked around from day one, and that ain't cool. And my wife just had enough," says Osbourne.

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Where Is Thelma Riley Now?

Riley stayed away from the spotlight after getting separated from Osbourne and began teaching at a school in Leicestershire. She raised her children as a single mother until they could stand by themselves. 

Ozzy Osbourne Married His Second Wife Shortly After His Divorce From Riley

Osbourne met his future second wife, Sharon Rachel Levy (later Arden), in 1970, when he was still married to his first wife, Riley. Arden was the daughter of his band, Black Sabbath's manager Don, and she was working as a receptionist for her father at the time. Arden became Osbourne's manager nine years later after he left Black Sabbath and started his solo career. The two subsequently began dating. Arden is highly credited with the success of Osbourne's solo music career.

Osbourne married Arden the same year he got divorced from Riley. Osbourne tied the knot with his second wife on 4 July 1982 in Hawaii. After marriage, Arden took Osbourne's name.

Ozzy and Sharon had three children together. The pair welcomed Aimee on 2 September 1983, Kelly on 27 October 1984, and Jack on 8 November 1985.

In 1989, the heavy metal singer attacked his second wife while under the influence of drugs. He was subsequently arrested for attempting to murder his wife. He was then kept in medical detention for six months. Even after the life-threatening attack, his second wife did not end their marriage.

"I had no idea who was sat across from me on the sofa but it wasn't my husband. He goes to a stage where he gets that look in his eyes, the shutters were down and I just couldn't get through to him," Sharon said in the Biography: Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne documentary in September 2020. She continued, "And he just said, 'We've come to a decision that you've got to die.' He was calm — very calm — then suddenly he lunged across at me and just dived on me and started to choke me."

The Singer Became Sober at 64

Riley's ex-husband struggled with substance abuse issues for a long time. However, his marriage with Sharon positively impacted his life as he eventually quit drugs and alcohol, and he became sober in 2013. 

"For the last year and a half I have been drinking and taking drugs. I was in a very dark place and was an a—hole to the people I love most, my family. However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober," he wrote via Facebook. "Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing. I'm just trying to be a better person. I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my band mates for my insane behavior during this period … and my fans."

The same year, Ozzy reunited with Black Sabbath until it disbanded in 2017. 

Ozzy And Sharon Osbourne Also Got Separated, But Soon Reconciled

Following 33 years of marriage, Ozzy and Sharon parted ways in May 2016 amidst rumors that Ozzy had an affair with hairstylist Michelle Pugh. However, the couple was back together as of July 2016. 

A source told US Weekly magazine that couples therapy saved their marriage. The couple remarried in Las Vegas in May 2017. In October 2021, Daily Mail reported that Sony Pictures and Polygon Entertainment would develop a feature film about Ozzy's love story with his wife of 39 years, Sharon.

Ozzy Osbourne Has Made Several On-Screen Appearances

He also appeared in the MTV reality show The Osbournes (2002-2005) and in History TV's reality series Ozzy & Jack's World Detour (2016-2018).

The highly popular show The Osbournes premiered on 5 March 2002. It featured Ozzy's insight into his personal life with his second wife Sharon and their two children, Kelly and Jack. However, their eldest daughter chose not to appear on The Osbournes. The series ran for four seasons until it ended on 21 March 2005.