As Charlie Sheen continues his whirlwind — and "stunningly bananas" — media tour, the fallout from the actor's puzzling claims continues to pile up. Sheen has grabbed headlines with bizarre interviews this week with NBC's "Today" show, ABC, TMZ, and CNN's Piers Morgan, among others. The self-proclaimed "rock star from Mars" may be committing career suicide along the way, but his rants and ongoing battle with the creator of his show, "Two and a Half Men," have also caused plenty of collateral damage. Here, four notable consequences of Sheen's erratic behavior:
1. "Two and a Half Men" is canceled for the rest of this season
CBS halted production on the remaining eight episodes of its hit sitcom after Sheen ripped into show creator Chuck Lorre in a radio interview last Thursday. Sheen called Lorre a "clown" and a "charlatan." Now, the actor is demanding $3 million an episode, up from a reported $1.8 million, to return to the show, and says CBS owes him a public apology "while licking my feet." Warner Bros., which produces "Two and a Half Men," on Monday agreed to pay the show's crew for four of the eight canceled episodes — a concession that Sheen called a "start" in his battle against the show's producers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
2. Sheen's publicist resigns
Stan Rosenfield, a top Hollywood publicist who represented Sheen for more than seven years, quit abruptly on Monday after the actor gave a rambling interview to TMZ. "I have worked with Charlie Sheen for a long time and I care about him very much," Rosenfield said. "However, at this time, I'm unable to work effectively as his publicist and have respectfully resigned." Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt has volunteered to step in. "Taking media advice from Spencer Pratt is a like getting romantic tips from Mel Gibson," says Free Britney at The Hollywood Gossip, "but we're sure Charlie appreciates anyone reaching out to him."
3. CBS courts Sheen's replacement?
The network could be trying to rescue its key sitcom and "ratings bonanza" by introducing a new character to replace Sheen's. While many are speculating about possible substitutes, one name has been rumored most: John Stamos. The star last week took to Twitter to deny the whispers that he would be replacing Sheen. But the speculation took on new life this week when E! Online reported that CBS President Les Moonves had talked to Stamos about joining the show. "Come on, seriously?" says Kelsea Stahler at Hollywood.com. The show would "be better as 'One and a Half Men'" than by having Stamos appear out of nowhere as "a long-lost cousin or half-brother."
4. Sheen gets a killer new tattoo
The new chest tattoo reads "Death from Above," and shows blood dripping onto an apple. Sheen explained the image during a radio interview on "The Alex Jones Show," and said it was tied to the movie Apocalypse Now, which starred his father, Martin. The tattoo, says Sheen, depicts "the banner from the death card that Kilgore [from Apocalypse Now] is throwing on his victims, but there's also falling from it, is the apple from The Giving Tree. There's my life. Deal with it. Oh wait, can't process it? Losers. Winning. Buh bye."
