Ozzy Osbourne saves chimpanzees with painting money

Ozzy Osbourne has auctioned off five of his original paintings, created in collaboration with chimpanzees, to help save endangered apes. 

The Black Sabbath legend partnered with chimps from the Save the Chimps sanctuary in Florida to produce the acrylic artworks, one of which, titled Paranoid and co-painted with a chimp named Janice, sold for £13,820. 

Working alongside three other chimps, Kramer, Sable, and Sophie, the collection raised a total of £54,040 through Omega Auctions in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, The US Sun reports.

Ozzy, 76, explained his rare decision to sell artwork. 

“I paint because it gives me peace of mind. But I don’t sell my paintings. I’ve made an exception with these collaborations as it raises money for Save the Chimps, a sanctuary for apes rescued from labs, roadside zoos and wildlife traffickers.”

The sanctuary offers lifelong care to hundreds of rescued chimpanzees, including advanced medical attention, healthy meals, and enriching activities, like painting.

This heartwarming news comes just over a week after Ozzy's daughter, Kelly Osbourne, publicly addressed and condemned false rumors about her father’s health. 

On Friday, July 11, she took to Instagram Stories to respond to a viral video she claimed used artificial intelligence to imitate Ozzy's voice.

“So, there’s this video going around on social media, and it’s supposed to be my dad, but it’s AI,” Kelly said. 

“And it has a voice like my dad’s David Attenborough or something. And it starts out saying, ‘I don't need a doctor to tell me that I'm going to die. I know I'm going to die.’ What the f--- is wrong with you people? Why would you spend your time making a video like this?”

She firmly denied the claims made in the clip. “

He’s not dying,” Kelly stated. “Yes, he has Parkinson’s, and yes, his mobility is completely different than it used to be, but he’s not dying. What is wrong with you?”