Ozzy Osbourne shocked fans with his recent admittance that he had relapsed into drug addiction.

In a Facebook post, the iconic Black Sabbath vocalist revealed he’d been battling an 18-month slip.  “For the last year and a half I have been drinking and taking drugs. I was in a very dark place,” the statement read.  “However, I am happy to say that I am now 44 days sober.”

“Just to set the record straight, Sharon and I are not divorcing. I’m just trying to be a better person,” it continued. “I would like to apologize to Sharon, my family, my friends and my band mates for my insane behavior during this period (…) and my fans.”

The statement affirmed recent reports that the relapse had taken a serious toll on his marriage to Sharon Osbourne.  The two have been married since 1982 and have three adult children, all involved in the entertainment industry.  The family is best known for starring in The Osbournes, a popular MTV reality series chronicling the their daily life.

Ozzy Osbourne’s colleagues also expressed disbelief at the news.

“I’ve known [Ozzy] for 50 years, so I should know him, but God, I never sussed that at all,” band mate Tony Iommi said in an interview with Classic Rock magazine.  “He was turning up to my house on time and we were rehearsing and writing, and I never saw anything … I didn’t see any signs of it … None of us did. He really hid that well.”

Daughter Kelly Osbourne was quick to jump to her father’s defense.  “I love and respect that he’s honest enough to say, ‘Yes, I did this. It was my fault,'” Osbourne told Cosmopolitan. “He’s a real man. Most people would hide, and he doesn’t. It doesn’t make me love him any less.”

The 65-year-old artist has publicly admitted to a long history of drug use and addiction, dating back to the early 1970’s.  He has spent time in rehabilitative facilities and is reported to have achieved several periods of sobriety.