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Sharon and Ozzy OsbourneEvan Agostini/The Associated Press

Contrary to recent reports, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon are not splitting up.

The veteran British rocker posted a Facebook message on Tuesday in which he dismissed the divorce rumours and apologized to his family for relapsing into substance abuse.

"For the last year and a half I have been drinking and taking drugs," wrote Osbourne. "I was in a very dark place and was an a–hole to the people I love most, my family. However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober."

In the same message, Osbourne flatly refuted recent tabloid reports that he and his wife of 30 years were breaking up.

"Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing," said Osbourne, 64. "I'm just trying to be a better person."

Late last week, TMZ reported that Sharon had stopped wearing her wedding ring and was spotted with a moving team unloading furniture from their Beverly Hills home. On Monday, TMZ lent further credence to the separation rumour with photographs of Sharon receiving a foot massage at a resort in Cabos San Lucas, Mexico, over the weekend.

The more likely reality: Sharon was keeping a distance from her spouse in order to force him to deal with his substance abuse issues. In his Facebook message, Osbourne said, "I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my band mates for my insane behaviour during this period…and my fans."

Osbourne became famous as the lead singer of the heavy-metal band Black Sabbath back in the seventies. Over the years, he has spoken frequently of his addictions to alcohol and drugs and has spent several stints in rehab.

Earlier this month, Sharon, 60, made headlines when she returned to her co-host role on the daytime program The Talk and announced that she was pregnant following in vitro fertilization treatment in Germany. The pregnancy turned out to be an April Fool's joke. Last fall, she underwent a double mastectomy.

From 2002 to 2005, Ozzy and Sharon became the first family of reality-TV by starring in the unscripted MTV series The Osbournes, which also featured their children, Jack and Kelly. The series earned the highest ratings in MTV history and won a 2002 Emmy for Outstanding Reality Program.

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