Charlie Sheen’s legal dispute over ‘Two and a Half Men’ ends
Charlie Sheen, Warner Bros. Television and “Two and a Half Men” co-creator Chuck Lorre have officially made peace and settled their legal differences.
Sheen has been at odds with the studio and Lorre since early this year after Warner Bros. shut down production of the CBS sitcom to force Sheen to seek treatment for substance abuse issues. Warner Bros. later fired the actor after he publicly criticized the studio and Lorre.
Although none of the parties would comment on the deal, last week the Los Angeles Times reported that Sheen would receive $25 million to settle the matter. The amount was from profits Sheen was due to receive for work he had done on the show, a person familiar with the matter said.
The public fight involving Sheen, Warner Bros. and Lorre was one of the ugliest in recent memory. Sheen went on television and radio shows and even launched a national tour, all with the goal of criticizing his old bosses and declaring himself a winner.
A more contrite Sheen has appeared in recent weeks. He made an appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” where he joked that he would have fired himself too. He also was a presenter on Fox’s Emmy Awards telecast Sept. 18 to wish “Two and a Half Men” good luck without him.
For Sheen, putting the matter behind him and showing that he has settled down is key for his future in Hollywood. He is working on a new situation comedy based on the Adam Sandler movie “Anger Management” for production company Debmar-Mercury, owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. It has not been sold to a network yet.
Last week, “Two and a Half Men” made its debut with Ashton Kutcher as its new leading man and drew almost 30 million viewers.
