Ozzy Osbourne Mourned by PETA for His ‘Gentle Side,’ Four Decades After Infamous Bat Incident

What a difference four decades make.

While Ozzy Osbourne cemented his status as the Prince of Darkness in 1982 when he infamously bit the head off a bat onstage in Des Moines, Iowa, fast-forward 43 years and animal-rights advocacy group PETA is mourning the metal legend’s death Tuesday (July 22) at age 76.

Osbourne first teamed up with PETA back in 2020 when he was the face of their ad campaign against declawing cats, with the tagline “It’s an Amputation. Not a Manicure.”

“Ozzy Osbourne was a legend and a provocateur, but PETA will remember the ‘Prince of Darkness’ most fondly for the gentle side he showed to animals—most recently cats, by using his fame to decry painful, crippling declawing mutilations,” PETA senior vice president Lisa Lange said in a statement. “Ozzy may have been the singer, but his wife, Sharon, and his daughter, Kelly, were of one voice when it meant protecting animals. Ozzy will be missed by animal advocates the world over.”

The 2020 ad was personal for Ozzy, who nearly lost some of his own fingers in late 2018 as a result of an infection. In a PETA press release at the time of the ad, Osbourne said: “Amputating a cat’s toes is twisted and wrong. If your couch is more important to you than your cat’s health and happiness, you don’t deserve to have an animal! Get cats a scratching post—don’t mutilate them for life.”

News of Osbourne’s death was announced by his family on Tuesday, with a statement signed by wife Sharon and kids Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis. “It is with more sadness than mere words can convey that we have to report that our beloved Ozzy Osbourne has passed away this morning,” reads the statement from Birmingham, England. “He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time.” No cause of death has been provided.