Have to say my mouth actually dropped wide open at this latest celebrity heartbreaker. Less than two months ago, we were rejoicing for Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack and his fiancee Lisa over the arrival of their new baby girl Pearl. Such happy news for a 26-year-old "kid" who's been through a lot in his young life -- and now Jack's family has revealed that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
Talk about bad news and bad timing all rolled into one, this poor young dad and his family! Jack got his MS diagnosis just three weeks after Pearl was born, surely putting a heavy cloud over the couple's precious babymoon.
We all got to know Jack on his family's MTV reality show The Osbournes. He was a cursing, smart-mouthed Brit kid with big curly locks and glasses back then -- and on that show, frankly, he was funny as hell. Just 17 years old when the series first launched in 2002, Jack was in his prime partying days -- and also his prime "rip on sister Kelly" and smart-assery days. Of course, we now know that all that partying led to dark times for the youngest Osbourne -- he went to rehab for an OxyContin addiction in 2003.
Undoubtedly, Jack's younger years were never uncomplicated as dad Ozzy famously battled drug and alcohol addiction most his life and now suffers a tremor-inflictive genetic disease called Parkin Disease. And as if that isn't enough for one family, during The Osbournes, Jack's mom Sharon was diagnosed with colon cancer and thankfully has had a full recovery. However, during that time, Jack was wrought with depression and attempted suicide. Jack's sister Kelly Osbourne also had her own well-publicized addiction issues and stints in rehab but, just like her brother, recently seems better than ever -- both of them clean and sober, slimmed down, and at their healthiest yet.
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Atop all of this, one does have to wonder how much one family can take.
Jack admits to being angry about the diagnosis at first and who could blame him? Such a scary medical diagnosis in the happiest time of your life. However, for Jack, these feelings sound like they are evolving into something else, something made of strength and inspiration. He told Hello! magazine:
I got really, really angry. Then I got really sad for about two days, and after that I realised: 'Being angry and upset is not going to do anything at this point, if anything it's only going to make it worse… 'adapt and overcome' is my new motto.
It remains to be seen how intense Jack's symptoms will become in time. While MS is incurable, some sufferers experience only mild symptoms throughout the illness.
Jack seems to be getting his head in the right place to take on this news with grace and if we learned anything in all those wacky episodes of The Osbournes, it's that his smut-mouthed, crazy family is nothing if not unendurably bound to loving and supporting one another.
Sending thoughts for good health to Jack and our hearts go out to him and his family.
Are you shocked at Jack Osbourne's MS diagnosis?
Image via Getty/Frazer Harrison
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Comments 20
Autumn - your post brought tears to my eyes. What a strong father you have!! Congratulations and best of luck in your new life :)
This does make me sad for Jack and his family. A woman very close to my family, I call her my aunt, has suffered from this as long as I can remember. It just breaks your heart to see someone you care about in so much pain. And the meds are so expensive. Thankfully he is well off and has a good support system. Great motto Jack!!
Way to go Jack! My DH and I were just talking about whatever happened to Jack Osborne. Its nice to know that he is keeping his chin up :) Congrats to him and his fiance w/ NB <3
Why not be positive with Jack? He's the one living with MS. And what's with the word "incurable?" That's so Dark Ages. Why not "treatable, waiting for a cure." So dark and unnecessary. I think cancer would have been curable a long time ago if the perception of disease and how to live with it was more enlightened.
Good for you, Jack, stay strong. You have much to inspire you and support you!
MS CAN be manageable if caught early and you are lucky to have a treatable form of it. My daughter's sperm donor's mother has had it for most of her life and her form doesn't respond to most therapies/treatments. She lives a pretty miserable life and it's hard for my daughter to see her that way, hard for me too, she's a great lady.
My SO's sister was just diagosed with it and hopefully she has a better situation. But seeing what I've seen... I worry for her.
it's always ssad to learn about this type of diagnosis, beit someone close or a public person. He has pulled through and will be able to cope with this. Luckily, hes got economic resources that will at least allow him to obtain the best medical care available.
My heart goes out to everyone facing an illness such as this.
Took two years of having mysterious symptoms before I was diagnosed...I have relapsing remitting...so I am better off than most... I have had times that you may as well pour me into a bucket and leave me in a corner.... But you don't give up... you have kids that need a mom...
Very, very sad. He's so young. I've a friend who was in her late 30s when she was diagnosed with MS...now her husband has cancer. One can live a long time with MS and I pray that Jack will have a great doctor that knows how to handle all his symptoms. My prayers are with him....and his whole family.