Sharon Osbourne, in an interview with Talk TV on October 2, claimed that Roger Waters was antisemitic, adding to the growing number of accusations of antisemitism against the Pink Floyd Singer.
The Jewish star said “I’m Jewish…I know him… I know his reputation that precedes him in our industry…He laughs, he’s always telling jokes about Jews, always making comments about money, the cliché, you know, old-time opinion.”
“You have got to remember; this man is 80 years of age. If you were to ask anybody in the street that’s under 40, and you showed them a picture of him, and said, 'Do you know who this is?' Nobody would know.
“So in today’s music industry, yes he’s got his old fans, but he is not really relevant as far as anybody cares about him… to know what he is doing or anything like that.
“I think that he must have really lost the plot. I think he should go and actually take his life…live in an old people’s home and leave the Jews alone.
“This has been going on for years, it isn’t because he is old and has lost the plot.”
Osbourne, when asked if she thought Waters was antisemitic, responded, “Is the Pope a Catholic?”
Sharon Osborne on Roger Waters. Stick a fork in him because he is done! pic.twitter.com/v3YhHPLoVg
— Alex Hearn (@hearnimator) October 2, 2023
Osbourne's interview has also seemingly inspired other witnesses to speak out against Waters.
James Marlow, a UK-based journalist wrote on X that "As someone who worked in two of the UK’s most famous studios from 1979-85 as a sound engineer and we had engineers working on the Wall album and their tour, Roger Waters had some seriously issues with “Jews”. So @MrsSOsbourne words are of no surprise at all."
As someone who worked in two of the UK’s most famous studios from 1979-85 as a sound engineer and we had engineers working on the Wall album and their tour, Roger Waters had some seriously issues with “Jews”.So @MrsSOsbourne words are of no surprise at all. https://t.co/wQLKdu2jY2
— James J. Marlow (@James_J_Marlow) October 2, 2023
Accusations of antisemitism against Roger Waters
Waters faced an initial round of accusations of antisemitism in May after he dressed up as an SS guard and compared Anne Frank to Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during a concert at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin.
Good morning to every one but Roger Waters who spent the evening in Berlin (Yes Berlin) desecrating the memory of Anne Frank and the 6 million Jews murdered in the Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/4tcrV6f8mt
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) May 24, 2023
Waters denied the accusations at the time, and has continued to deny new accusations of antisemitism that came to light after the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) released their documentary on him.
Waters wanted to put “Dirty kyke [sic]” on his infamous inflatable pig, according to emails acquired by CAA during their investigation. The term “Kyke” is a misspelling of a slur used against Jews. The pig, used as a prop in Waters' concerts, already contained a Star of David, which is considered to be a symbol of both Judaism and the State of Israel. The email also alleges that Waters wanted the pig to pour out confetti in the shapes of swastikas, Stars of David, and dollar symbols over the audience.
CAA interviewed Pink Floyd’s former saxophonist, Norbert Stachel, who stated that Waters had mocked Stachel’s grandmother who was murdered by the Nazis.
Stachel also claimed that Waters demanded a server "take away the Jew food” when he was dissatisfied at the restaurant.
Stachel claimed that others who worked with Waters warned him not to complain if he wanted to maintain employment with him.
Music producer Bob Ezrin also spoke with CAA, claiming that Waters sang about his former agent Bryan Morrison, in which the lyrics stated “Cos Morri is a f***ing Jew.”
In response to the documentary, Waters claimed that he was the victim of a political campaign due to the anti-Zionist efforts. He also did not deny making the aforementioned antisemitic comments, instead claiming that he is “frequently mouthy and prone to irreverence, I can’t recall what I said 13 or more years ago.”