Warner Bros. airs its dirty laundry on Charlie Sheen

In its letter dismissing Charlie Sheen from the CBS show "Two and a Half Men," lawyers for Warner Bros. dumped out the company's basket of dirty laundry on the actor.

Sheen "has been engaged in dangerously self-destructive conduct and appears to be very ill," the letter from the firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP to attorney Marty Singer said. Sheen's condition "undermined the production in numerous and significant ways" and ultimately left Warner Bros., the producers of the hit sitcom, no choice but to pull the plug on the show and subsequently on himself.

"Warner Bros. would not, could not, and should not attempt to continue `business as usual' while Mr. Sheen destroys himself as the world watches," the letter said.

Sheen's camp leaked the letter to Singer to the gossip site TMZ, and its contents were subsequently confirmed by people familiar with the matter. Sheen told the site that his firing was good news.

The letter firing Sheen is the latest back-and-forth between the actor and Warner Bros., CBS and Chuck Lorre, the co-creator and executive producer of "Two and a Half Men." Production on the show was suspended for four episodes in January so Sheen could go to a rehabilitation facility after a series of incidents that included hospital trips and run-ins with the law. Sheen opted to be treated at home and soon declared himself ready to return to work.

Warner Bros., CBS and Lorre weren't buying Sheen's miracle cure and after the actor went on a media tour trashing all three, production for the entire season was suspended.

Sheen and his legal team have argued that Warner Bros. is in breach of his contract for ending production of this season, but the lawyers for Warner Bros. counter that it is the actor who has overstepped his bounds, not the studio.

Sheen's "self-destructive conduct resulted in his hospitalization, his inability to work at all for a period and the rapid erosion of the cooperative and creative process necessary to produce the show," the studio's lawyers said. Sheen is described as missing rehersals and not being prepared for filming. The letter goes on to say that Sheen's admitted drug use and "furnishing of cocaine" to others puts him in violation of his contract. "There is ample evidence supporting Warner Bros. reasonable good faith opinion that Mr. Sheen has committed felony offenses involving moral turpitude ... that have interfered with his ability to fully and completely render all material services required" under his contract.

Interestingly, the letter acknowledges that Warner Bros., CBS and Lorre were previously willing to overlook Sheen's various issues with the law and substance abuse to keep the show going.

"While it was not anywhere close to an ideal working situation, Warner Bros. and CBS as well as Mr. Lorre continued to make accommodations for the off-camera (yet very public) aspects of Mr. Sheen's life," the letter said, adding "at each step, Warner Bros. CBS and Mr. Lorre expressed their wholehearted support for Mr. Sheen and concern for his health and well-being."

That may give fuel to critics who say that Sheen's bosses were willing to look the other way when he got into legal scrapes and was accused of violence toward women including his wives, but got tough when he started trashing them.

Sheen's lawyer Marty Singer said Warner Bros. claims are without merit and that he expects to file a suit against the studio later this week.

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Photos: Memorable TV departures

-- Joe Flint

Photo: Charlie Sheen. Credit: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters.

For the record: This post was updated to include comment from Sheen's lawyer Martin Singer.

Comments

[Philly Boy]

CBS hasn't been worth a damn since Walter Cronkite retired. Sheen was the only thing they had going for them. At least he is interesting. I'd also like to see what the producers and network hacks are doing with their free time. Do they party? Perhaps they sit around drinking Geritol and soda. If only Charlie would have played the Hollywood game of Shame/Rehab/Oprah they'd all be happy. He won't do it. They'd rather shoot themselves in the foot and fire him and watch all that money go down the drain, than deal with a guy who speaks his mind and likes to blow off a little steam every once in a while. Don't worry about Charlie. You know why, he's WINNING!

[Donald Michael Kraig]

Because Sheen has been so public he's going to get the blame. However, he didn't say a thing until producer Lorre started attacking him on the "vanity cards" at the end of the show. First he wrote for the world to see, "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 pi**ed." Then, on the next week's card, he wrote, "He felt dead inside. No matter how hard he partied, he could never escape that simple fact - inside, dead."

According to Victoria Walden on Yahoo, "While there's no doubt that Sheen has publicly ridiculed and insulted his boss, it seems that it was actually Chuck Lorre who fired the first shot. After all, musing publicly about the future death of your star is not exactly a tactic we'll see recommended in any employee relations handbook. There may be a very good reason that Charlie Sheen is so angry."

I imagine that Sheen will sue Lorre and Warners while they will sue him back. In the end, the people who worked on the show will suffer being unemployed and only the lawyers will make money.

[Richard]

It's pretty hard for them to claim moral turpitude for behavior they have
accepted in the past, thus putting in the "norm".

From what I have heard, he has always been able to do the job.
Really, what comes down to it is he told them to "bring it" and they
now have "brought it". Boom, hammer down.

While I'm reasonably sure the show will not be anywhere near the same
without him, I'm also sure that the very first episode they do put on will
have stellar ratings, if only initially. Think "Joey".

John Stamos can not sustain a show. Remember "Jake in Progress"?
Neither does anyone else.
He's a good supporting actor, but please, get real.

I can see a few episodes that would be easy to write w/o the Charlie
character in it, but not see an easy way to transition to something else.

[HAZman]

"If Warner Bros. had any class they'd refrain from comment" -- Warner Bros. didn't publicly comment. Its lawyers sent a private letter to Sheen's lawyer explaining the basis for the termination of his contract. If the Times article is accurate, it was "Sheen's camp" which then "leaked the letter" to TMZ.

[Mr. Ed]

Winning = getting fired?!?!?!

[Fred]

Scott Baio!!

[cee cee]

Oh yes....

as though the producers, WB and CBS did not benefit all the way to the bank....

while looking the other way.....

until he became a media sensation....

I'll stand with Sheen, thank you

[Jester of the Apocalypse]

Spare the emotion in your posts, people.

#1, if "2 and 1/2 men" was a big part of your life, get a life. If you are obsessed with Charlie Sheen's personal life, take advice from the man himself: "Enjoy the ride!"

At $2 million an episode for 177 episodes, this guy is going to antagonize the rest of the world for a loooong time!

[Skip]

Stricly legally speaking. First by allowing Sheen to work in his altered state and then by acknowledging in his firing that they tried to accomadte and work with him and his issues, they Warner Brothers suropticisouly altered the terms of the contract with Sheen. In court they loose. By Warner Brothers actions they changed the terms of the contract.
It's simple if u have a contract with ur boss and in that contract u can only wear a blue shirt and U start wearing a red shirt and ur boss says u know I don't lime red shirts but it's better to have u here in a red shirt then not at all. Then two weeks later he decides to fire u for wearing a red shirt because it's in your contract oops sorry the boss looses in court cause he changed the contract

[Melissa]

Charlie Sheen is not an actor, he's Charlie Sheen, on camera, and off. Jon Cryer is the true talent on this show, and shifting focus would not be as hard as some think. Holland Taylor's role could be brought forward with a good deal of success as well. The woman who plays Berta is also amazing....there you have it. It's a show without him, easily.

[Lees]

CBS, the producers and C. Lorre kept Sheen on during his roller coaster life until he insulted them. They didn't give a crap about him, only the money. Both Sheen and his nemeses will suffer in the end. CBS losing their top rated show (who watches CBS anyway?) and maybe Sheen will hit rock bottom ( which is what he needs to start to recover).

[OneRcknMan]

They can get Emilio Estevez to replace Charlie (not going to happen) or Matthew Broderick since he looks like he could be Jon Cryer's brother.

[Jeffsd]

Charlie's bosses are complete idiots. Creative people are expected to be whacked out, bosses aren't. No wonder everything on television is so terrible these days. It's time to retire these dinosaurs and bring in executives with level heads

[politicallyactive]

Sheen was the star of a television situation comedy, hardly a profession of any great value. He's not a writer, artist, inventor, scientist or someone who is going to leave the world a better place.
He's just another washed up guy who happens to be knowingly making an idiot of himself in public.
Nobody dares to work with him again. If he were to show up to start shooting a new episode it would blow-up and be over in 30 minutes.
He's just a train wreck and nothing more. At least a train wreck can be cleaned up.
He was bragging last week that he had several hundred thousand Twitter "followers". He is so deranged that he thinks those "followers" are supporters of his.
They are not. They are watching and waiting for the next meltdown moment.
They are not there in support.
It's sort of a feeling for the "followers" of "there but for the grace of God, go I" sort of thing.
Everyone feels so much better about themselves when they see Sheen act-up.
Someone who is broke, ugly and unemployed can look at Sheen and feel rightfully superior.

[Ken]

I wondered if there was some sort of "etiquette" in stating something so publicly (like that it's coming from the studio instead of the network) or if it is the studio implying that they value the producer more than the star.

Any ideas about that? Anyone?...Buehler?

[LisaChristine]

Charlie Sheen is Charlie Sheen. He has never said he was anything else. The show is his show. The show is his life. If he is gone, the show is dead. Sorry people, but that is how it is. He cannot be replaced. Perhaps if they hired another actor acting like he was replacing Charlie, MAYBE it would work. Love him or hate him, he is like Popeye, "I yam what I yam and that is all that I am." Personally, I love the guy and am hoping that he will come out of this smelling like a rose, like he has done in the past. Yes, sad but true, he is one of those lucky people who bounce back, stronger than ever. Come on Charlie, you can do it one more time!

[jt]

one thing I learned after 27 yrs. in the biz of show and that is no one - these days at least - is not so huge and gifted that they cannot be replaced. Sheen's show can hire any number of talent TV veterans and it will do very nicely.

personally, I have no sympathy for this out-of-control woman abuser/drug addict and it's about time CBS fessed up to tolerating his behavior for the sake of money, but regardless of whether or not his insulting the producers finally caused them to step up and can this nutjob or not is irrelevant - bad behavior should never be rewarded to the tune of nearly $2M per episode. there are too many capable people out there who could easily fill his horse's ass shoes.

[dirkdigg]

Big mistake on firing Charlie. He is the show. I will not watch the show without Charlie

[Lawrence of LA]

What about the 200+ people who worked on the show!!! As you get older you must realize its not about ME.

[Scott]

Robert Downy, Jr. is a brilliant choice. The irony would be perfect.

[blackone]

Oh, who knows what these professional liars are talking about? I feel like a showering when those slithering folks at Warner pretend to take a "high road" [we would not, could not, and should not attempt to continue . . . while Mr. Sheen destroys himself as the world watches:] They are probably just trying to discredit him before he goes to HBO or someplace and earns 5 times more an episode.

[joanna38]

I would like to say to LISAMARIE...no! the show was not just his show. Was his name the only name you saw in the titles? As a woman, to even say you admire him, is despicable and disgusting. He beats on women, he threatens their lives, he uses and abuses! That kind of person deserves your admiration? What kind of people are you living with to admire him?

[sonny]

CBS enabled Charlie and his ignorant ways for years while he engaged in bona fide self-destruction. Bottom line. They, ultimately, never cared about his well-being because he was making THEM a great deal of money: they knew he was mentally unstable and a incorrigible crack head. BUT when he began insulting them and particularly that typical Hollywood money making (off others' talents) weakling Lorre, he and CBS cut Sheen loose. In CBS, between deliberately trying to hide the fact that their wanna-be-known-as-a-"hot"-journalist, Chief Foreign Correspondent Lara Logan, was sexually assaulted in Egypt and this Sheen major-drama---CBS is looking VERY lame these days. I guess they'll be launching more CSI (rolling eyes) televised gloss of forensic "specialists" under 30 with lip gloss and saloned hair. CSI Utah, CSI Texas...CBS is garbage.

[Robert NO longer in LA]

Just how long did CBS profit from this low-life? CBS is NOW, developing some sort of perverted MORALS???? If this low-life, parasite, was MAKING up to $2 million per episode, WHAT WAS CBS RAKING IN, as it turned a BLIND eye to the dead Mexicans, the Mexican mafia trafficking throughout the USA??? How many 'Charlies' are in CBS's stable of Gollywierds???

[ceaandtee]

welcome to the real world sheen. this is what happens when you attack your boss. you can do all the drugs you want, assult all the women you want, talk crazy all you want, and whore around all you want; but you can NOT, ever, ever, EVER bite the hand that feeds you. now go crawl in a hole someplave and don't come back for at least a year when hopefully you grow up and realize you are not 20 but a middle age moron