In a startling revelation on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, Jack Osbourne disclosed that he grew up believing his maternal grandfather was dead, only to discover the truth as a teenager.
The Shocking Family Secret
Jack Osbourne told his campmates that his mother, the legendary music manager Sharon Osbourne, had informed him that her father, Don Arden, had died. It wasn't until Jack was around 15 or 16 years old that he learned his grandfather was actually alive.
The truth emerged after Jack witnessed his mother and Don Arden having a heated argument in Beverly Hills. This confrontation forced Sharon to come clean to her children about her father's existence, shattering the illusion she had maintained for years.
The Notorious Don Arden
Don Arden, who died in 2007 at the age of 81, was a formidable figure in the music industry. He managed iconic acts like Black Sabbath, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Gene Vincent, but he was better known for his ruthless business tactics, earning him the nickname the 'Al Capone of Pop'.
Jack confirmed the long-standing rumours about his grandfather's violent methods. 'He pulled guns on people, everything,' Jack stated. He also verified the story that Arden would dangle bands out of windows to force them to sign with him. Most shockingly, Arden 'certainly tried' to do the same to his own daughter, Sharon.
A Family Torn Apart
The major fallout occurred in 1979 after Black Sabbath sacked Ozzy Osbourne. Sharon began a relationship with Ozzy and took over as his manager, a move her father saw as a profound betrayal.
Jack detailed the extreme consequences: 'He sent hitmen after them. Mobsters would show up with guns at gigs... She was his protégé, he taught her everything, and he did all sorts of screwed up things.' The estrangement was so complete that Sharon and Don had no contact for two decades.
In 2001, Sharon was adamant about the permanent rift, declaring, 'My father's never even seen any of my three kids and, as far as I'm concerned, he never will.' However, later that same year, and at Ozzy's urging, the pair reconciled.
Jack finally met his grandfather when he was about 16 or 17 years old, and Don even appeared on the family's reality show, The Osbournes. Despite the reconciliation, Sharon was 'too traumatised to attend' his funeral in 2007, though she had paid for his care during his battle with Alzheimer's disease.
