Considering all the celebrities who had memoirs released in 2023, from John Stamos to Britney Spears to Jada Pinkett Smith, one might think that either Denise Richards or Charlie Sheen penned something autobiographical as of late, considering the resurfaced attention given to their relationship and co-parenting struggles regarding their daughters, the opinion-sparking OnlyFans content creator Sami Sheen and Lola Rose. The former RHOBH star’s latest reflection on her past came during a podcast convo with fellow Real Housewives alum Bethenny Frankel, where she revealed herself as the reason Sheen joined Two and a Half Men, which ended up having a negative effect on both his sobriety and their marriage.
During the first half of a two-part installment of Just B with Bethenney Frankel, the host and Richards essentially talked through a timeline of the Wild Things star’s courtship with Charlie Sheen, with the early years before and during their marriage being far calmer for the couple, with the actor then years into a period of sobriety. While discussing her infamous December 2004 Playboy shoot, Richards revealed that Sheen was offered to join in as the photographer, but noted that he didn’t end up going forward with it because the timing coincided with his work on the CBS sitcom. Which is when she dropped the reveal that she was the big reason why he ended up taking that project over another one. In her words:
He got Two and a Half Men while I was pregnant, and so then he went into production. So he was, you know, nervous about starting a new TV show after Spin City got canceled. And so he got that. Which, by the way, I read the script and I’m like, ‘You have to do this show.’ He was gonna do a different show, and I read the script, and I go, ‘You’re crazy for not doing this.’
I can easily understand why Sheen was reportedly nervous at the time, since he'd pulled off the extremely rare Hollywood move of successfully replacing a major star deep into a TV project's run, and as great as Spin City was with Michael J. Fox at the helm, it was just as fun with the Major League star bringing different comedic vibes. And considering he landed Two and a Half Men relatively soon after the D.C. sitcom ended, it's easy to forget that his career could have gone in a vastly different direction had he turned down the Chuck Lorre series in favor of another show. He presumably wouldn't have sparked a decade-long feud with Lorre, and likely wouldn't have turned Tiger Blood into a household name, among other things.
To that end, somewhat, Denise Richards believes that Two and a Half Men was indirectly responsible for her ex-hubby’s renewed affinity for intoxication. Here’s how she put it:
I think because the success of Two and a Half Men and the money, I think led to him getting back into not being sober.
Bethenny Frankel asked if Charlie Sheen was at an emotional low point just ahead of Two and a Half Men, wondering if that added to his addictive habits that followed. But Richards said he was in a really good place at that time, having been sober during his time on Spin City, but that the CBS sitcom’s mass popularity seemed to play a big part in his behavior and lifestyle going forward, including the timeline of eventual exit. She continued:
He was on a low before he got Spin City replacing Michael J. Fox. And he did a great job on that, won a Golden Globe. He had to go through struggles and he’s very public about that, with not working for quite a few years because of his addiction. But I think with the fame and the success of that show — whatever that is, I think that’s something for him to talk about — but all I know is he was no longer the person that I married, and no longer sober, which led to our [split].
By and large, Denise Richards spoke of Charlie Sheen respectfully, and made sure to present things as her opinions, while saying she couldn't speak to his thoughts on certain matters. She also recently opened up about her parenting struggles during the years when his addictions were most troublesome.
Sheen is set to make his big TV return for Chuck Lorre's new Max series Bookie, though we probably shouldn't expect to see Richards making any appearances as she did on Two and a Half Men. But I'm still hoping, because why not?
