14 DAY TRIAL // “Two and a Half Men” has come to an end. Charlie Sheen and the producers on the hit television series have come to blows publicly in the last 24 hours, prompting CBS to put the show on indefinite hiatus, while they think of their next step.
As of yesterday, rumors online were saying that network executives were pondering the possibility of making the show without the main star, Charlie, since it had become clear that he was too difficult to work with.
Perhaps aware of this, Sheen phoned in on a radio show from the Bahamas where he’s vacationing to say that it’s not his fault that the show ended, but rather of “idiot” Chuck Lorre, whom he calls Chaim Levine.
The actor insists he’s sober but Lorre is out to convince everybody that he’s not, just because he (Lorre) can’t get it through his thick skull that some people, such as himself, are so strong they can cure addiction with the power of their mind.
“I violently hate Chaim Levine. He’s a stupid, stupid little man and a [expletive] punk that I’d never want to be like. That’s me being polite,” Sheen says.
“That piece of [expletive] [Lorre] took money out of my pocket, my family’s pocket, and, most importantly, my second family – my crew’s pocket. You can tell him one thing. I own him,” the actor adds.
As for allegations that he’s not fit to come back to work, Charlie insists he’s all cured of whatever demons he had and that got him in the ER room in January after an alleged 36-hour cocaine bender.
“News-flash. I am special and I will never be one of you. The only thing I’m addicted to right now is winning. My success rate is 100%!” he says.
TMZ has audio of the whole thing.
In response, CBS issued the following statement: “Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen’s statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Bros. Television have decided to discontinue production of ‘Two and a Half Men’ for the remainder of the season.”
As it happens, Sheen is not done and he will not stop talking regardless of how hard network execs try to silence him. He’s penned an open letter to TMZ, in which he proclaims that the truth must prevail – as would have his fists had Lorre accepted his offer to duke it out in the ring.
“What does this say about Haim Levine [Chuck Lorre] after he tried to use his words to judge and attempt to degrade me. […] I fire back once and this contaminated little maggot can’t handle my power and can’t handle the truth,” Sheen writes.
“I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels especially if they wind up in my octagon. Clearly I have defeated this earthworm with my words – imagine what I would have done with my fire breathing fists,” he adds.
He also says that he will take his loyal fans and “march up the steps of justice to right this unconscionable wrong.”
For the time being, CBS has refrained for commenting any further on the topic. Rumblings online say that Sheen may be playing such hard ball because he’s already been approached by HBO for a brand new series, so he knows he has something to fall back on.