Ozzy Osbourne once killed 17 pet cats in drug-fueled breakdown that became turning point in his life

LONDON, ENGLAND: Ozzy Osbourne once killed his 17 pet cats in a drug-fueled frenzy in the early 1980s, a haunting experience which he called a turning point in his life.

The Black Sabbath star died on Tuesday, July 22, at the age of 76. His death comes just weeks after he performed his final show in front of an emotional audience on July 5, along with his bandmates at Villa Park in Birmingham.

Ozzy Osbourne killed his 17 pet cats in drug-fueled frenzy

As the rock music legend died on Tuesday, his controversial life has come back into people's attention. Even though there were many incidents during his dark days of drugs, one of the incidents that left a deep impact on him was when he shot dead 17 of his pet cats in a drug-fueled frenzy.

In the early 1980s, Ozzy Osbourne, who was a heavy drug user for most of his life, admitted to killing 17 family cats in an interview.

He described the incident as a turning point in his battle with addiction whenever he spoke about the episode.

The incident reportedly took place in the early 1980s when Osbourne divorced Thelma Riley and had either married or was yet to marry Sharon Osbourne.

Notably, as his substance abuse peaked, he shot and killed the 17 pet cats that lived with him with a shotgun.

Meanwhile, Sharon Osbourne was not at home when this happened, and as the rock legend recalled, when she came back, she found him under the piano with a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other.

Osbourne said, "I was taking drugs so much I was a f*****. The final straw came when I shot all our cats. We had about 17, and I went crazy and shot them all. My wife found me under the piano in a white suit, a shotgun in one hand and a knife in the other," per Scotsman.

Moreover, Ozzy Osbourne once admitted to shooting a "henhouse full of chickens", snorting a "line of ants", and also eating a bat's head.

Furthermore, during Ozzy Osbourne's Diary of a Madman tour, fans threw live animals like cats, chickens, and snakes onstage, and some were killed in the chaos.

Ozzy Osbourne hurled raw cow livers and pig intestines into the crowd in return.

Ozzy Osbourne's family mourns the loss of Rock legend

Ozzy Osbourne's family said in a statement, "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."

"He was with his family and surrounded by love. We ask everyone to respect our family privacy at this time. Sharon, Jack, Kelly, Aimee and Louis," the statement read.

Meanwhile, weeks before his death, the music legend performed from a throne during the Black Sabbath farewell concert on July 5 in Birmingham.

Furthermore, he had been battling several health problems in recent years, but his family has chosen not to share the exact cause of his death.

Osbourne, dubbed the Prince of Darkness for his wild stage antics and massive rock following, reunited with Black Sabbath for a five-song set earlier in July in what he called his final show.

The emotional gig, which was hailed as "the greatest heavy metal show ever", saw Ozzy beaming at fans and watching on as daughter Kelly Osbourne got engaged on stage.