Moment Sharon Osbourne beats up reality star to defend Ozzy goes viral after his death

A fiery throwback clip of Sharon Osbourne protecting her husband Ozzy is going viral following the rock icon’s death.

Fans have praised Sharon's loyalty as, in the clip, the mum of three hits back at Megan Hauserman, then a contestant on Rock of Love: Charm School, who had insulted Ozzy. Megan had said: "The only thing you’ve managed to do as a celebrity is to watch your husband’s brain turn into a vegetable."

But Sharon turned to the audience and said: "I feel so sorry for her," before standing up, calmly taking a sip from her cup — and then hurling the rest of the drink in Megan’s face. The explosive exchange happened during the 2008 series of Sharon's show, which saw contestants compete to develop proper etiquette in order to win $100,000 (£73,000).

Megan, a model and actress, was eliminated in episode four of her series, shortly after the showdown with Sharon, then aged 56 and a household name in the music and TV industries in the US and the UK. She told her audience: "They can f*** with me… I don’t give a sh** — but not my family."

Security scrambled on the stage as tensions escalated on the VH1 programme. Following the feisty confrontation, Megan sued Sharon for battery and distress, while Sharon countersued, saying the reality star had assumed the risk and broken their TV agreement by suing. The case quietly settled in 2011 for an undisclosed six-figure sum.

Since then, Megan, 43, has starred in her own short-lived, infamous dating show: Megan Wants a Millionaire. It was axed during the first - and last - season with just three episodes airing in 2009.

Social media users took aim at Megan this week as the Rock of Love: Charm School clip re-emerged online. They also lauded Sharon's loyalty, with one user stating: "The way she loved Ozzy is something not common... She really, REALLY loved her husband." Another posted: "Ozzy was so blessed to have someone as loving as she was."

A further fan posted: "Ozzy was the king of metal, but she was the queen. Never attack royalty." Another comment reads: "GO Sharon. She doesn’t play when it comes to her man."

And music manager Sharon, 72, expressed her heartbreak at Ozzy's passing this week. The TV personality, who has been a judge on The X Factor, said in a family statement: "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. He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time."

She married Ozzy in Hawaii, US, in July 1982 and went on to have three children; Jack, Kelly, Aimee, with the music legend. The family's light-hearted reality TV series, The Osbournes, was a huge hit and ran for three seasons between 2002 and 2005. Ozzy died on Tuesday "surrounded by love" following a battle with Parkinson's disease.