A Brief History of Charlie Sheen Hating on Chuck Lorre — And Vice Versa
Back in 2011, you'd have thought the days of Charlie Sheen and Chuck Lorre working together were consigned to history.
After a massive falling out, spelling the end for CBS's much-loved (and top-rated) comedy, Two and a Half Men.
But it was all a long time ago. So, let's refresh our memories with a brief history of the very public spat between Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen.
How it started
Things started to go wrong in January 2011, just days after Lorre described Sheen as 'a professional'.
On 27th January, the actor was hospitalised with severe stomach pains after partying for a week.
That night, when Two and a Half Men aired, Chuck Lorre's vanity card read, 'Please keep in mind that we employ a highly-paid Hollywood professional who has years of experience with putting his life at risk. And sadly no, I'm not talking about our stuntman.'
The next day, Sheen was back in rehab.
Charlie Sheen's response
The actor's initial response, issued via a statement on 2nd February, was quite conciliatory.
'I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people. I want to say 'thank you' to my fellow cast members, the crew of 'Two and a Half Men,' and everyone at CBS and Warner Bros., especially Les Moonves and Bruce Rosenblum for their concern and support.'
Less than two weeks later, though, he appeared on The Dan Patrick Show and proudly announced he'd done a pep talk for a kid's baseball team, telling to stay away from crack 'unless you can manage it socially.'
Another vanity card
Lorre's next vanity card was more direct.
'I exercise regularly. I eat moderate amounts of healthy food. I make sure to get plenty of rest. I see my doctor once a year and my dentist twice a year. I floss every night. I've had chest X-rays, cardio stress tests, EKGs and colonoscopies. I see a psychologist and have a variety of hobbies to reduce stress.
'I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't do drugs. I don't have crazy, reckless sex with strangers. If Charlie Sheen outlives me, I'm gonna be really pissed.'
This time, Sheen didn't take it quite so well. He called into Alex Jones' radio show ranting, 'It's nothing this side of deplorable that Chaim Levine – yeah that's his real name – mistook this rock star for his exit strategy. I embarrassed him in front of his children by healing at a pace that his brain can't process.
'Last time I checked, Chaim, I've spent the last decade turning your tin cans into gold. And this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write. Clearly, someone who believes he's above the law. You've been warned, dude, bring it'.
This way of referring to Lorre was described by some Jewish groups as borderline antisemitism.
On February 24th, the production of the show was cancelled.
So, that was that?
Oh, no. Sheen was back on the radio a day later saying he would win the war. And the ranting continued. On TV, on the radio, anywhere he could spout off about Lorre, Sheen was there spouting off.
Through various moments of madness, he described Lorre as a clown, an AA Nazi, a blatant hypocrite, a turd and a loser. He also described the show as a 'pukefest' and offered Lorre a cage fight.
He also said he would not get back into the 'sludge pit with those knuckleheads (Lorre and co-creator Lee Aronsohn).
By the end of the month, his publicist had resigned.
Charlie Sheen fired by Warner Bros
On 7th March, Sheen was formally fired by the network. Three days later he filed a lawsuit claiming $100 million in damages.
But, of course, he had to have his say on the issue too. In a statement, he said, 'It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at whatshisc**k (Chuck Lorre) again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension.'
And another vanity card
Sheen's character was killed off in the show. Kind of. In the last ever episode of Two and a Half Men, it transpired he hadn't been killed, but kidnapped. Meaning Lorre could kill him off again.
As always, the finale finished with a vanity card - 'I know a lot of you might be disappointed that you didn't get to see Charlie Sheen in tonight's finale. For the record, he was offered a role. Our idea was to have him walk up to the front door in the last scene, ring the doorbell, then turn, look directly into the camera and go off on a maniacal rant about the dangers of drug abuse.
'He would then explain that these dangers only apply to average people. That he was far from average. He was a ninja warrior from Mars. He was invincible. And then we would drop a piano on him,' Lorre wrote. 'We thought it was funny. He didn't. Instead, he wanted us to write a heart-warming scene that would set up his return to primetime TV in a new sitcom called The Harpers starring him and Jon Cryer. We thought that was funny too.'
The last word
As is his wont, the last word on the matter went to Charlie Sheen. In 2021 he told Yahoo! Entertainment, 'There was 55 different ways for me to handle that situation. And I chose number 56'.
Source: Yahoo.