OZZY OSBOURNE Fires Back At Report Suggesting His Marriage Breakup Is Publicity Stunt

Ozzy Osbourne has slammed a man claiming that the breakup of BLACK SABBATH singer's marriage was staged in order to remain "relevant."

Osbourne became infuriated after Radar Online quoted Stephen Machat, described in the report as Ozzy's "former manager," as saying that he believes Ozzy and Sharon's separation was contrived to drum up attention for SABBATH's farewell tour, which resumed earlier this month.

"I would put money on a publicity stunt," Machat is quoted as saying. "They're on a BLACK SABBATH tour. She would do this in a minute. It's propaganda. Sharon is clever enough to make a story that the press would read, so all of a sudden he becomes relevant again."

Although Osbourne did not specifically address the allegations, he offered an emphatic rebuttal via his Facebook page, explaining that Machat was never actually his manager and claiming the two hardly even know one another.

"For the record, Mr. Machat NEVER managed me nor was he employed by me in any capacity at any time in my career," reads Ozzy's statement. "His representation of this is a categorical lie. I met him when he was hanging around the music industry in the early '80s, but haven't seen him in at least 30 years. He's a sad delusional relic from the '80s."

Machat told Radar Online that he didn't believe Ozzy could or would cheat on Sharon, who is also her husband's manager. "He's not all there," Machat said. "I would doubt that he had an affair."

Page Six ran a similar report last month in which insiders claimed that Sharon's airing of her own marital woes was inspired by Beyoncé's "Lemonade", which hinted at marriage drama with Jay Z.

"Sharon is the queen of publicity stunts," sources told the gossip web site. "She's a very smart woman.... If it is a stunt, it has got him almost as much press as when he bit that bat's head off."

The state of the Osbournes' 33-year marriage has been in question for weeks since it was revealed that Sharon caught the BLACK SABBATH singer in an affair with a celebrity hairstylist.

The Osbournes' daughter Kelly faced a barrage of criticism online last month after she tweeted the hairstylist's phone number, which has since been disconnected.

Ozzy and Sharon were seen in public together at a press conference announcing Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, a two-day combined metal and heavy rock festival that will be headlined by SABBATH and SLIPKNOT in September.