Charlie Sheen Sues WB and Producer Lorre For $100 Million

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 07:33:51 PM EST
Tags: charlie sheen (all tags)

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Charlie Sheen today filed a $100 million lawsuit against Warner Brothers and Two and a Half Men producer Chuck Lorre.

Sheen is also claiming damages on behalf of the show's cast and crew, even though his lawyers don't represent them. The show employs 200 people.

Sheen says Warner Brothers and Lorre raked in over a billion dollars from the show over its 9 seasons.

Lorre has a terrific attorney, Howard Weitzman on Los Angeles.

Los Angeles attorney Howard Weitzman, who represents Lorre, called the suit's claims "as recklessly false and unwarranted as Mr. Sheen's rantings to the media." He added the lawsuit was "about a fantasy 'lottery' payday" for Sheen.

Warner Brothers also sounds like it's ready for battle: [More...]

Warner Bros. added that in recent months, Sheen had been forgetting his lines, turning up late, missing rehearsals and making "comments poisoning key working relationships."

As for how much Charlie was being paid, Financial Times reports:

Mr Sheen earned $27.5m per season as the star of Two and a Half Men, making him the highest-paid star on television. Including royalty fees, Mr Sheen was poised to make as much as $2m per episode.

You can read the lawsuit here.

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Charlie Sheen Sues WB and Producer Lorre For $100 Million | 15 comments (15 topical)

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Avoidance (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by chutedem on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 09:20:56 PM EST

In passing I ran across a reference to software that would block any references to Charlie Sheen. Does anyone know where this software can be obtained?

: Firefox (none / 0) (#11)
by CoralGables on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 10:36:41 PM EST

probably has one. I believe they also have one to weed out all things Beiber

Choosing Sides (none / 0) (#1)
by hilts on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 07:41:40 PM EST

Jeralyn,

Two questions for you:

Who are you rooting for in this lawsuit?

Based on what you've read and heard over the past few weeks, which side do you think has the stronger case?

: Not sure this is worth predicting (none / 0) (#2)
by CoralGables on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 07:58:31 PM EST

Unless we get a glimpse of the contract

: I'm not taking sides (none / 0) (#7)
by Jeralyn on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 08:37:35 PM EST

I don't have enough facts about the contract and I'm a criminal defense lawyer, not a contract or civil lawyer.
On a personal level, I like Howard W. a lot. He's an acquaintance, not a close personal friend, but I have a lot of respect for his abilities and like him as a person.
As for Charlie, he's not a good poster child for "underdog." He makes too much money, he's arrogant and has an inflated sense of his importance. His rants are juvenile, and somewhat bizarre considering he's 45 years old.
Like most lawsuits, this one will eventually settle, with confidential terms. I don't see much in this for Charlie in the long term, except compensation for the salary he would have earned for the rest of this season and next, per his contract.
Without a substantial stint in rehab, and possibly, like Robert Downey, Jr., some jail time to bring him down to earth and allow people to feel he paid his dues, no major network is going to gamble on him. I can't see any major network, even those that love reality shows, hiring him for the "Charlie Sheen Hour", goddesses or no goddesses.

Even if they settle,... (none / 0) (#3)
by getoffamycloud10 on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 08:02:46 PM EST

Even if they settle, which wouldn't surprise me, it would be the Citizen's United of bogus suits.

Hopefully, the judge gives it the O'Relly V Franken - "Wholly without merit, both factually and legally." - treatment it so richly deserves.

Why am I not surprised by this? (none / 0) (#4)
by Anne on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 08:19:08 PM EST

I'm trying to picture Sheen sitting in his attorney's office, or on the phone, having an incoherent conversation about suing Warner Brothers and Lorre, and wondering why - even if the lawyer stands to get paid a nice fee - this made any sense to anyone but Charlie.

Now all we have to do is wait for the counter-suit from WB and Lorre.

Oy.

Somehow, I'm figuring Charlie's lawyer (none / 0) (#5)
by Peter G on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 08:31:40 PM EST

did not do this on a contingency arrangement.


: Yeah, I had the same thought, Peter... (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Anne on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 08:35:54 PM EST

and I guess what disappoints me is that, unless there is something we're totally unaware of, this suit looks like a total loser - and I pretty much hate the mindset of, "well, someone's going to make money off this - it might as well be me - and I might lose ALL of this guy's business if I don't go along with it."
Not saying that's what's going on here, but it kind of has that feel to it.

Yes, Weitzman is an excellent lawyer (none / 0) (#8)
by shoephone on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 09:06:39 PM EST

One of my family members was an executive with the WB for many years, and worked closely with the legal department. That company is going to pull out all the stops to protect itself. Sheen doesn't have a chance of "winning," IMO.

My only comment (none / 0) (#10)
by andgarden on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 10:12:56 PM EST

is that if Sheen needs treatment, I hope he gets it.

My only comment: that is an obscene (none / 0) (#12)
by oculus on Thu Mar 10, 2011 at 10:42:18 PM EST

amount of money to pay the star of a sitcom.

: Nah, you didn't get the memo (5.00 / 2) (#13)
by MO Blue on Fri Mar 11, 2011 at 08:22:47 AM EST

It is teachers who make obscene amount of money. :-(

: An obscene (none / 0) (#14)
by CoralGables on Fri Mar 11, 2011 at 09:32:55 AM EST

amount of money is made from the show. It's estimated CBS takes in upwards to $160 million per season on the show.

Is this suit a joke? (none / 0) (#15)
by jbindc on Fri Mar 11, 2011 at 09:42:42 AM EST

Seriously? A good lawyer actually turned this motion in and writes like this?

It reads like a bad script for a pilot.