Charlie Sheen Sues Warner Bros. for Breach of Contract – Will He Win?

Although I have never been a huge fan of Charlie Sheen, I love his show Two and a Half Men! Other fans like myself are saddened by the news that the show may be cancelled, or continue without Sheen’s character.  Unfortunately, on March 7, 2011 Warner Bros. Television (WBTV) fired Sheen from the show.  Up until a few days ago, the question on everyone’s mind is “Will there be a lawsuit between WBTV and Sheen?”  Well folks, the answer is yes.  Sheen has filed suit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Chuck Lorre and WBTV for one hundred million dollars plus punitive damages.

This suit has stemmed from both sides claiming the other has breached the contract.  WBTV claims that Sheen committed felony offenses, involving moral turpitude (an act which is intrinsically wrong).  WBTV states that Sheen’s incapacitated state has rendered him unable to perform his professional duties.  Lastly, WBTV may also throw in the fact that Sheen has brought negative publicity to the show per his media interviews.  Thus, WBTV claims that Sheen has breached his contract and therefore WBTV is justified in firing him.

Sheen claims that he has not defaulted on any of his responsibilities, per his contract.  TMZ reported Sheen’s response to WBTV’s claims as:

“This is very good news. They continue to be in breach, like so many whales. It is a big day of gladness at the Sober Valley Lodge because now I can take all of the bazillions, never have to look at [expletive] again and I never have to put on those silly shirts for as long as this warlock exists in the terrestrial dimension.”

Although a very verbose and awkwardly worded response (typical Sheen style), the actor got his point across.  He stuck to his point of view that WBTV’s claims are absurd, and by firing him, they have in fact breached the contract.

Now, the question is whether this suit will result in a multi-million dollar settlement or a lengthy, heavy publicized trial?

It is likely that to win a breach of contract lawsuit, WBTV is going to have to show that they suffered actual harm.  In other words, they are going to have to show that Sheen’s acts of moral turpitude and incapacitated state caused the studio actual monetary loss.  Brining in actual documents showing a loss in ratings, and financial statements showing a loss of profit will probably be needed.  Further, WBTV will have to show that Sheen’s interviews and so called “negative-publicity” caused the show’s profits and ratings to dwindle.

This is going to be difficult.  Sheen’s issues and troubles were never hidden.  In fact, news of his drug addiction and other endeavors has been public for years.  Why then did the studio continue to renew its contract with Sheen?  Why did the fear of Sheen’s antics adversely affecting the show not compel them to cancel Sheen’s contract then?  Further, Two and a Half Men has been gaining popularity and been doing very well over the years, despite Sheen’s issues.  Can the studio really say that Sheen’s “incapacitated” state has unfavorably affected the show?

Truth is that when news is out on a celebrity, be it because of issues, relationships, or plain gossip, those celebrities and their work are given more attention.  Media coverage of a celebrity gets their name even more out there.  People then pay more attention to any work the celebrity is doing to follow up on the news or just learn more about the celebrity.  So, how can it be said that any of Sheen’s interviews have hurt the show? Perhaps those who never watched the show would have tuned into an episode to see how Sheen’s acting is and if he can deliver a good performance?  WBTV could have potentially benefited from all the attention Sheen has been recently getting.

On the other hand, Sheen’s attorney will have to closely scrutinize his client’s contract with WBTV.  If the contract’s language is broad, there is room to argue and defend Sheen’s conduct.  However, if the language is narrow and specific, restricting certain things per his client’s persona and tendencies, Sheen may be liable for breach.  A sitcom’s star actor in the news for drug addiction, excursions with “goddesses,” and awkward interviews does have the potential to adversely affect the show’s ratings.  If his actions have harmed the show, can he really claim WBTV breached the contract first, should not have terminated him, and needs to pay up for his lost wages?

It will be interesting to see how this litigation continues.  Personally, despite whatever issues Sheen has, I feel that he did a great job on the show.  The show was hilarious, had a great fan following, and people loved Sheen’s character.  No matter what personal issues Sheen had, he did his job.  He is an actor and his job is to perform well, and work towards maintaining the show’s high ratings and huge fan following.  He did do that.

As a viewer, this whole situation has saddened me.  Our TV channels today are bombarded by pointless reality TV shows.  Two and a Half Men was one of the few shows left that was quality entertainment.  Despite the fate of this lawsuit, the show’s fans will never receive that same quality of entertainment.  All in all, in my opinion, the filing of this suit and the inability of both parties to work out their differences has already brought a huge loss to both Sheen and WBTV.