Sharon: "Kelly Osbourne Was Never an Addict"  8/16/05

Sharon Osbourne forced her troubled daughter Kelly to take time out from her career to keep her away from the media spotlight, because it was causing her self-image untold damage.

Despite reports the Changes singer has struggled with drink and drug addictions, Osbourne is adamant her daughter was only experimenting as most children do - and she is far more concerned about Kelly's growth as a person.

She says, "When you're a kid and you drink in America you're immediately an alcoholic. We all mess about with drink and drugs growing up, you find what you can handle - Kelly's just not a very good drinker.

"She's just finding her feet with drugs, too. Come on, we've all done it, she's finding her level. She's finding herself, she's just trying to get comfortable in her skin.

"I wanted her to take time out, she hasn't stopped for four years. I just said be a kid and find yourself. She didn't really go into rehab for drink or drugs.

"She wants to be herself but every time she picks up a magazine it says overweight Kelly looks like a mess, she's on all the worst-dressed columns.

She's like, 'I can't do anything right,' not that she wants to be the best dressed, but she needs to be comfortable with who she is."