WHAT THEY SAID
"The backlash, it was my own fault," § Jack Osbourne said of the fan anger over the AI Digital Ozzy avatar, speaking on the Great Company With Jamie Laing podcast. He says he was not armed to explain the project properly when it was announced, and insists his dad's likeness is not going to be hawking cell phones §, ¶.
THE DETAILS
- Jack and Sharon unveiled the avatar at the 2026 Licensing Expo in May, where Jack described brands prompting Digital Ozzy into commercials §.
- He now frames it as owning Ozzy's digital IP and likeness, citing the Bob Marley and Michael Jackson estates doing the same §, ¶.
- The May 2026 HYPERREAL partnership covers Ozzy's voice, image and movement, with CEO Remington Scott saying it was built only from authenticated, approved material †.
- Sharon has said fans will be able to ask the avatar questions and hear answers in Ozzy's voice, and that it would tour internationally †.
- The avatar was slated for Proto Luma units over the summer. It did not happen, and no debut date exists †.
- Ozzy & Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning hits theaters October 28 §.
WHO IS RIGHT
Fans were not paranoid here: Jack himself stood on a licensing panel and explained how brands could drop Digital Ozzy into a commercial §, so the backlash came straight from his own pitch. He is right that the messaging was his fault, but "my own fault" is not the same as "you misunderstood."
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
The summer rollout already slipped with no new date announced, so the project is unresolved until the family actually shows fans what Digital Ozzy does †.