Despite His Reported Wild Behavior, Charlie Sheen May Have a Decent Breach of Contract Case
Charlie Sheen clearly didn’t help his potential breach-of-contract case against CBS and Warner Brothers Television by calling his boss, Chuck Lorre, a “retarded zombie.” Nor are the news accounts about his reported wild partying with porn stars a plus factor.
But, just as with shock jock Don Imus, who brought a similar case a while back over his own firing, those who hired Charlie Sheen should have known what they were in for, entertainment lawyers tell the Hollywood, Esq. The magazine analyzes in detail the 45-year-old actor’s possible lawsuit over being fired from his starring role in top television hit Two and a Half Men and says, while it may be an uphill battle, it’s a case that he might win.
If reports that his contract with WBTV didn’t include a morals clause are true, the case likely would turn on whether Sheen was unable to do his job rather than any controversy he created on the set or elsewhere, the article explains. Arguments against the actor could include that he was impossible to work with because of his outrageous conduct and that he was physically unable to perform all of his job duties.
In a worst-case scenario, Sheen could not only lose a breach-of-contract case but be held liable for the producers’ lost profits.
On the other hand, though, it could be perceived that Sheen is being punished for behavior that doesn’t preclude him from doing his job. His lawyer, Marty Singer, said in a recent letter to the network and studio that Sheen is ready, willing and able to work but has been shut down in retaliation for criticizing the show’s co-creator, Chuck Lorre.
Additional and related coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “Charlie Sheen Plans Lawsuit over Show Cancellation So He Can Continue to ‘Fuel the Magic’”
ABAJournal.com: “Charlie Sheen in New Legal Battle: Judge OKs TRO and His Sons Are Taken From His Home”
ABAJournal.com: “Imus Settles With CBS, Seeks New Show”
