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Friday, March 29, 2024 | Back issues
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Sheen Wants $100M From WB & Chuck Lorre

(CN) - Charlie Sheen claims Warner Bros. and "Two and a Half Men," creator Chuck Lorre yanked the show off the air not because of Sheen's sordid publicity, but because of Lorre's "inflated ego, laziness and ill-will toward Mr. Sheen."

Sheen demands $100 million, claiming WB Studio Enterprises and Lorre stiffed Sheen and the show's cast and crew by cancelling the show.

Sheen claims Warner Bros. never cared about his publicity until he began talking to the media about Lorre's years-long campaign of harassment against him.

Sheen says Lorre made "harassing, derogatory and damaging statements" in the vanity cards that after episodes of "Two and a Half Men."

One allegedly showed a "To Do List," with the item, "Write a country song entitled 'Hooker in the Closet.' (Chorus: 'There's a hooker in the closet, 'neath the monogrammed robes, don't know how she got there and I can't find my clothes. Officer Krupke, how are you tonight? I've misplaced my watch but I'm feeling alright.')"

Another vanity card suggested that viewers "avoid degrading yourself by having meaningless sex with strangers in a futile attempt to fill the emptiness in your soul," while a third said, "We employ a highly-paid Hollywood professional who has years of experience with putting his own life at risk. And sadly no, I'm not talking about our stunt man," according to the complaint in the West District of the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Sheen says he got sober and was ready to work, and Warner Bros. wanted him to commit to another two seasons, regardless of pending felony charges against him.

But Lorre allegedly talked Warner Bros. into cancelling the show, after Lorre broke his own contract by refusing to write scripts for the remaining episodes.

Sheen says Lorre was mad about Sheen's "public response" to Lorre's harassment.

"Chuck Lorre, one of the richest men in television who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, believes himself to be so wealthy and powerful that he can unilaterally decide to take money away from the dedicated cast and crew of the popular television series Two and a Half Men in order to serve his own ego and self-interest, and make the star of the Series the scapegoat for Lorre's own conduct," the lawsuit states.

Sheen claims Warner Bros. was motivated by a desire to keep its cash cow happy.

He says Warner Bros. complied with Lorre's demand that it fire Sheen "because of Lorre's significant influence upon them as a result of his role as creator of multiple prime time television programs from which Warner Bros. and CBS reap huge profits. Lorre is the proverbial '800-pound gorilla' as far as WB and CBS are concerned. Unfortunately, in this instance the capitulation to Lorre's demands - fueled by Lorre's inflated ego, laziness and ill-will toward Mr. Sheen and his perceived lifestyle - is in direct derogation of Mr. Sheen's rights. This is not the first time that Lorre has had problems working with major television stars, including Roseanne Barr, Cybil Shepherd and Brett Butler."

Sheen also says Warner Bros. refuses to honor his pay-or-play contract, even though he has earned "billions" for Warner Bros., CBS and Lorre.

He demands $100 million plus punitive damages for himself and for "the numerous innocent, hardworking cast and crew members whose welfare Defendants callously ignore."

Sheen sued WB Studio Enterprises, Lorre and Chuck Lorre Productions for unpaid wages, breach of contract and intentional interference.

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