Published: March 9, 2019
A private jet, a missing passport, airport security, and one very unlucky weekend, how Sharon Osbourne got stuck on the tarmac while Ozzy performed for 80,000 fans.
Even rock royalty isn’t immune to travel mishaps. Sharon Osbourne, manager, media personality, and wife of legendary vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, was forced to miss her husband’s performance in Mexico after realizing she had forgotten her passport back in the United States.
Sharon and Ozzy flew to Mexico City on a private jet to headline the Corona Hell & Heaven festival, but only upon landing did she discover the missing document. Ozzy continued on to the venue, while Sharon found herself unable to clear immigration.
On Instagram, she shared a black-and-white photo of Ozzy with a caption expressing her disbelief:
“Ozzy on the way to play in Mexico in front of 80,000 people, and I will miss it all because I forgot my passport in the United States.”
Days later, on her television show The Talk, Sharon explained the ordeal:
“I landed Friday afternoon and realized I didn’t have my passport. I thought, ‘Okay, I’ll just sit and wait for someone to bring it. I’ll be here for five hours, then go through immigration when it arrives.’”
Mexican airport officials were firm:
“This is not how it works, ma’am. You must leave the country.”
Suddenly, Sharon understood the real problem:
Being on a private jet meant she had never officially entered Mexico and without a passport, she couldn’t simply board a commercial flight home, she was, in her own words, trapped.
Authorities initially considered placing her in a holding cell used for detention at the airport. Ultimately, they agreed to allow her to remain on her jet without stepping onto Mexican soil but the airport closed for the night, leaving Sharon sitting on the tarmac until morning.
“They said they’d fuel the plane and send me home but I was still sitting there. When the airport reopened at 6:00 AM, I had to wait even longer while they finished paperwork—until 10:30 in the morning!”
Sharon eventually returned to Los Angeles later that afternoon.
Meanwhile, Ozzy Osbourne successfully headlined the second day of Hell & Heaven, joined by acts such as Judas Priest, Marilyn Manson, and Saxon.
The episode quickly became an unexpected reminder that beneath the glamour and chaos of touring, even the most seasoned travelers are only one forgotten passport away from a rock-and-roll nightmare.
Sometimes, the wildest part of a festival weekend isn’t onstage.
It’s stuck on the runway.
