Warner Bros fires Charlie Sheen

Los Angeles - Charlie Sheen was fired on Monday from the TV situation comedy Two and a Half Men by Warner Bros Television following the hard-living actor's bouts of wild partying, repeated hospitalisations and a bitter media campaign against his studio bosses.

The action was taken after "careful consideration" and was effective immediately, the studio said in a statement. No decision has been made on the show's future without its star, Warner spokesperson Paul McGuire said.

Sheen, 45, who has used TV, radio and social media to create a big megaphone for himself, was not silent for long.

Camped out

In a text to The Associated Press, he responded by referring to his bosses with the F-word and, "They lose", followed by the word "Trolls". Asked if he planned to sue, Sheen texted back, "Big". As for his next move, Sheen texted, "A big one".

A call to his attorney, Marty Singer, seeking comment was not immediately returned on Monday. CBS declined to comment.

The firing capped a rare, raging public battle between a Hollywood star and those who employ him, with Sheen claiming the right to live as he pleased - including the acknowledged use of illegal drugs, although he's said he is currently clean - as long as he showed up sober and ready to work.

Several news camera crews were camped out on Monday across the street from Sheen's gated neighbourhood, Mulholland Estates, in hopes that he'd emerge to discuss his dismissal. A few news helicopters also surveyed the scene from above the Hollywood Hills.

Guinness World Records

Last month, Warner cancelled the remaining eight episodes of what was intended to be a 24-episode season of Men, citing Sheen's public behaviour and rants against Lorre.

In a series of interviews, including with ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today show, Sheen boasted about his "epic" partying, said he's fuelled by "violent hatred" of his bosses and claimed to have kicked drugs at home in his "Sober Valley Lodge".



There was public fascination with the gloves-off battle. When Sheen added Twitter to the arsenal, he gained 1 million followers in an unprecedentedly brief 25 hours, leading Guinness World Records to establish a new category and crown him the champion. He now has well over 2 million followers.

Adjustments

"They didn't say the show was cancelled. They said he was cancelled," said analyst Brill. "So the door is still open for another season."

CBS Corp Chief Executive Leslie Moonves, interviewed at an investors' conference on Monday, sidestepped the Sheen controversy when it was brought up by Deutsche Bank analyst Doug Mitchelson.

When Moonves discussed controlling series' costs by making "adjustments", such as "let's say, not renewing some high-priced actors", Mitchelson asked if Moonves had ever successfully replaced a show's lead actor before. Moonves remained silent, and the analyst apologised and said he'd promised "no Charlie Sheen questions".