The untold story of Thelma Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's first wife

The untold story of Thelma Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's first wife

Have you ever heard of the popular MTV reality show The Osbournes? Then you must know of the British singer, songwriter, and rock star Ozzy Osbourne and his family. Although the show premiered in 2002 and ended in 2005, fans are still interested in the family, especially Thelma Riley, the music legend's ex-wife and first wife who never appeared on the show.

Thelma Riley
Musician Ozzy Osbourne signs copies of his album "Patient Number 9" at Fingerprints Music in Long Beach, California. Photo: Scott Dudelson (modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

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Thelma Riley came to the spotlight due to her marriage to Ozzy Osbourne the vocalist of the heavy metal band Black Sabbath. His band sold over 100 million albums in the 1970s. Though there have been ups and downs in his career and marriages, he still stands out as one of the music legends of all time.

Profile summary

Full nameThelma Mayfair Riley
GenderFemale
Date of birth17 May 1954
Age69 years old (as of 2024)
Zodiac signTaurus
Place of birthBirmingham, England
Current residenceLeicestershire, England
NationalityBritish
EthnicityWhite
ReligionChristianity
SexualityStraight
Height5'6" (162 cm)
Weight136 lbs (62 kgs)
Hair colourDark brown
Eye colourDark brown
Marital statusDivorced
Ex-husbandOzzy Osbourne
Children3
ProfessionTeacher
Net worth $1 million

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Thelma Riley's biography

Born Thelma Mayfair Riley, Ozzy Osbourne's ex-wife, is also popularly known as Thelma Osbourne. She was born and brought up in Birmingham, England.

What is Thelma Riley's date of birth?

Thelma Riley's age in 2024 is 69 years. She was born on 17 May 1954. Therefore, her zodiac sign is Taurus.

Why is Thelma Riley famous?

Thelma is an English teacher who works in a local school in Leicestershire, England. However, she is widely recognized by many as the first wife of Ozzy Osbourne. Her separation from her husband hit the headlines, making him even more famous.

What happened to Thelma Riley?

The educator was the first wife of popular rockstar John Michael Osbourne, best known by his stage name Ozzy Osbourne. The union did not last for long and ended in divorce.

Thelma filed for divorce after complaining that her ex-husband was a drug addict, which was also the main cause of his sack from Black Sabbath in 1979. At the same time, she accused him of physically and emotionally abusing her, not being a good father to his children, and being a womanizer.

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The music icon acknowledged this by stating he once cheated on his wife with three women at a hotel. According to him, in his 2007 autobiography, I Am Ozzy, his marriage to Thelma was a terrible mistake.

He stated that his drug and alcohol abuse and the fact that he was often on tour with his group, Black Sabbath, took a huge toll on his family life.

Ozzy also admitted in another 2011 documentary film, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, produced by Ozzy's son Jack, that he could not recall his children's birthdays. His children complained of him being physically and emotionally absent then.

How did Ozzy Osbourne meet his first wife?

Thelma Riley and Ozzy Osbourne met in 1971 at Rum Runner nightclub in Birmingham, where she worked as a waitress. Ozzy was 22 years old then, and his music career was starting to flourish. The duo had a romantic relationship for months and married in July of the same year.

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How long was Ozzy married to Thelma?

They were married for eleven years before their divorce and had two children. The divorce was finalised in 1982, and the singer married his second wife, Sharon Arden, in the same year.

Was Ozzy married to Thelma Riley when he met Sharon?

No, he married Thelma in 1971, though he had met Sharon a year before. Sharon was 18 years old then, and her father, Don Arden, was Black Sabbath's manager. She worked as a receptionist for her father and met Ozzy.

But then, their romantic relationship started in 1979 after he was kicked out of his band. Sharon reportedly developed Ozzy Osbourne later on as a solo musician by being his manager. Ozzy dated her while married to Thelma, and after his divorce, they married on 4 July 1982.

How many kids did Ozzy have with Thelma Riley?

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The talented singer had two kids with Thelma. Their firstborn is Jessica Starshine. She was born on 20 January 1972, while her younger brother Louis was born in 1975.

Ozzy also adopted Thelma's first child when he married her. His name is Elliot Kingsley, and she had him in 1966 with an unknown man. Elliot was five years old when his mother married Ozzy.

How many kids did Ozzy have with Thelma Riley?
Thelma Riley's ex-husband Ozzy Osbourne, attends the Ozzy Osbourne Album Special on SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard Channel at SiriusXM Studios in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer
Source: Getty Images

Ozzy Osbourne also has three other children from his second wife, Sharon: Aimee (born on 2 September 1983), Kelly (born on 27 October 1984), and Jack (born on 8 November 1985).

His children have made names in music, acting, and entertainment, with some appearances in the family reality show, The Osbournes.

In addition, Thelma Riley is the grandmother to five children. Thelma Riley's grandchildren are Elijah and Maia from her son Louis and Harry, Isabelle, and Kitty from her daughter Jessica.

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Where is Thelma Riley today?

Since her divorce, she stepped out of the spotlight and now bears Thelma Maryflair. She currently lives in Leicestershire, England, and focuses on her teaching job, where she takes children on educational tours in the country.

Is Thelma Riley still alive?

Thelma is alive. She spends time with her family, organising house parties, visiting friends, and spending on food, fashion, and pieces of jewellery. But then, she is not active on social media.

Quick facts about Thelma Riley

  • Her birthplace is Birmingham.
  • Thelma raised all three kids as a single mother.
  • Her ex-husband's real name is John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne.
  • Ozzy has 13 studio albums, five live albums and 65 singles.

Thelma Riley is a celebrity wife who came to the limelight for her marriage to Ozzy. Her position as Ozzy Osbourne's ex-wife rings a bell whenever his name is mentioned.

Yen.com.gh recently published the untold story of Dennis Rader's ex-wife, Paula Dietz. She was a bookkeeper born in a religious home. She gained fame as a result of her marriage to Dennis, who happened to be the BTK murderer.

Dennis Rader murdered ten people while living in the same house with his unsuspecting wife and children. Find out what happened to their relationship and where Paula is today.

Source: YEN.com.gh

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