Thursday, June 20, 2013
McClatchy Newspapers
LOS ANGELES
Charlie Sheen is evidently still having trouble getting along with costars.
The producers of Sheen’s FX comedy “Anger Management” confirmed this week that costar Selma Blair will be leaving the show immediately, after reports of friction with Sheen became public over the past day or so.
“We are confirming that Selma Blair will not be returning to ‘Anger Management’ and we wish her the very best,” Lionsgate, the studio behind the show, wrote in a terse statement. FX declined to comment, referring questions to Lionsgate.
The website TMZ reported that Sheen went on the warpath after Blair complained to the producers about his lax work ethic. During his time on “Men,” Sheen was known for taking long weekends and skipping routine meetings and table reads. According to TMZ, Sheen gave “Anger Management” producers an ultimatum to fire Blair or he’d quit.
“Anger Management,” loosely based on the movie of the same title, has Sheen playing a retired baseball player who becomes a therapist.
The show — which got off to a blazing start but has seen ratings sag since — is about halfway through a 100-episode order and was supposed to mark Sheen’s comeback after a meltdown that led to his firing from “Two and a Half Men.” During that debacle, Sheen heaped abuse on his boss, executive producer Chuck Lorre, and called costar Jon Cryer “a troll” (an insult for which he subsequently apologized).