Who was Ozzy Osbourne’s first wife? Relationship with Thelma Riley explored as reality star and singer dies at 76

Ozzy Osbourne's relationship with his former wife Thelma Riley has come into the limelight following his passing at the age of 76 on July 22, 2025. Osbourne was the Black Sabbath frontman and also a reality-TV star.

His family hasn't yet revealed the cause of death, but the singer had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, specifically a variant called Parkin 2, in February 2019. Osbourne's family announced his death in an official statement, stating that they were with him at the time of his passing.

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According to the BBC, Osbourne is survived by his wife Sharon Osbourne and his six children, including three from his previous marriage to Thelma Riley.

The heavy metal legend’s rise to fame with Black Sabbath coupled with heavy drug and alcohol use allegedly strained his relationship with Riley, which led to their divorce. Following their separation, Riley returned to living her life privately and out of the public eye. She worked as an English teacher in Birmingham, as per a report in Yen.

Exploring the relationship between Ozzy Osbourne and his first wife, Thelma Riley

The tumultuous relationship between Ozzy Osbourne and his ex-wife Thelma started off with a rapid romance which soon led to marriage.

His 2009 autobiography, titled I am Ozzy, suggests that the former Black Sabbath singer met Riley in 1971 at a nightclub called Rum Runner in Birmingham, England. That was where Riley used to work.

After a couple of months, in July of the same year, the pair decided to walk down the aisle. At the time, Osbourne was 22 years old.

Remembering his first meeting in his memoir, Osbourne said:

"She was beautiful and I wanted to talk to her. I pulled her on the dance floor."

In January 1972, Thelma Riley welcomed their first child, a daughter named Jessica. Three years later, they became parents to their son, Elliot. Osbourne also adopted Riley’s five-year-old son from her previous marriage, as per a report in Distractify.

Riley and Osbourne remained married for a decade, before filing for divorce in 1982. In his autobiography, the singer referred to his marriage to Riley as “a terrible mistake,” and took full responsibility for his failed marriage. He wrote:

"I put that woman through it. I should have never married her. She didn't deserve it. She wasn't a bad person, and she wasn't a bad wife. But I was a f---ing nightmare.”

According to a report in Yen, Thelma Riley is currently 71 years old. Her full maiden name is Thelma Mayfair Riley. She was born on May 17, 1954 in Birmingham, England. She continues to live her life secretly, away from the spotlight.

Following his divorce with Thelma Riley, Osbourne married his manager’s daughter, Sharon Arden, on July 4, 1982, per Distractify. The couple shared three children together – Aimee, born in 1983, Kelly in 1984, and Jack in 1985.

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