The two Kellys sat in comfy chairs on the stage at North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall Thursday night to share their thoughts and ideas.
Kelly Osbourne, the 32-year-old middle child of heavy metal rock star Ozzy Osbourne and media personality Sharon Osbourne, is a singer, songwriter, actress, reality television star and judge on “Project Runway Junior.” Kelly Cutrone, 51, is an American fashion publicist, star of “America’s Next Top Model” and a best-selling author.
The two friends teamed up in Naperville to talk about Osbourne’s new book, “There is No (expletive) Secret: Letters From a Badass Bitch,” but managed to cover a variety of other topics as well, including how they met.
“We were both in Vegas,” Cutrone said. “It was my 40th birthday and Kelly’s 21st birthday. I finished doing a show there and was ready to leave.” Unbeknownst to her, her friends decided to throw her a surprise birthday party. “When I get to the party, there is a cake that says Happy 21st Birthday,” she said.
The two birthday cakes had been switched, and Osbourne ended up with Cutrone’s cake. The mix-up turned out to be serendipitous in that it allowed the two women to meet and form a friendship that’s lasted more than a decade.
“We became such great friends that Sharon thought we were gay,” Osbourne said with a laugh, recalling her mother’s reaction to their friendship. “We are just friends”
Cutrone tried throughout the event, sponsored by Anderson’s Bookshop in Naperville, to focus on the book but Osbourne’s free-spirited style kept taking the conversation to other places. Osbourne told the audience their flight was delayed four hours. “We came right here and didn’t have time to stop at a hotel or anything. Look, I still have my workout pants,” she said lifting up her ankle-length, gold lamé skirt to reveal black leggings.
“Let’s talk about the title,” began Cutrone, trying to regain control. “Why did you choose this title?”
“For so many years, I have played to the media,” Osbourne said. “I didn’t really know how to be me. I have to tell people who I really am. I am baring my soul in this book.”
After going through many life trials, including addiction, Lyme disease and her mother’s cancer, reporters would ask, “What’s your secret?”
“Every single day, something is going to tackle you,” she said. “The more bad things that happened to me, the more famous I got. I got through it with love. My family love each other so much that we can get through anything. You just have to work through it. If you are a good person who does good things, good things will happen to you. It’s no secret.”
The book is organized as a collection of letters written by Osbourne to family, friends, abstract ideas and even body parts. “Dear Mouth” is a chapter in which Osbourne explores her tendency to say things that get her in trouble. “Dear Vagina” is a chapter that Osbourne said she wishes was not in the book.
“My dad read it and it was so embarrassing,” said Osbourne. “I asked him not to read it so that made him read it about five times and then began quoting parts of it.”
Audience members were able to ask questions as well. One came from Sophia Hunter, a 9-year-old girl from Woodridge, who wanted to know, “Why did you dye your hair purple?”
Osbourne invited Sophia on stage for the answer, telling her about how she saw someone else with purple hair and decided to try it. “When I looked at it for the first time, I felt it was me. I kept it. I dared to be different. If you could dye your hair any color, what color would it be?”
“Pink,” Sophia answered with a giggle, prompting Osbourne to invite Sophia to share her chair for the rest of the program.
Among the many topics covered was Osbourne’s stint on “Dancing With The Stars” in 2009.
“I was 24 years old,” she said. “I was using drugs and drinking to try to be anything but me. Then came ‘Dancing With The Stars.’ It changed my life. I stood in front of mirror nine hours a day and finally began to see things about myself that I liked. I became more comfortable with myself. I had a friend who told me that I needed to look in the mirror every day and say, ‘I am beautiful,’ ten times. It took me days to even say it once. But then I was able to say it two times and then more. If you say something to yourself enough, you can believe it. Everyone expected me to be a cliche. But I have worked really hard to be who I am now.”
Another audience member revealed that she attended the program because her son with Lyme disease, something with which Osbourne has also struggled.
“I was on the ‘Fashion Police’ and had a grand mal seizure,” Osbourne said. “I was told I was epileptic and listened to the doctors for a long time. But then I started taking little quizzes online and all roads lead to Lyme disease.” Her self-diagnosis proved correct and she finally received treatment for the disease.
Osbourne also discussed her cherished 25-year friendship with comedian Joan Rivers, her connection to Dr. Phil and her ability to play, “Sing It, Sister”, a game she and Cutrone devised in which Osbourne sings and dances to random popular songs. They played a short version of the game for the audience.
Both women delivered messages to the audience before Osbourne started signing books. “Women are magic,” Cutrone said. “I hope people realize that we are all unique, individual human beings.”
“Spend your time being the best you that you are,” Osbourne added. “The best I can be is me.”
Judy Buchenot is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
