hold because of his return to rehab, which came after a 911 caller
said the actor was intoxicated and in pain.
One of Sheen's neighbors told an emergency operator Thursday that the
actor was "intoxicated" and complaining of abdominal and chest pains,
according to a person familiar with the call. The person was not
authorized to publicly discuss details and spoke Friday on condition
of anonymity.
Copies of the call probably won't be ready for release by the Los
Angeles Fire Department until Monday, a department spokesman said.
Sheen, 45, was taken to a Los Angeles area hospital and was there
until around midnight Thursday, said his publicist, Stan Rosenfield,
who cited the actor's history of hernia problems.
Rosenfield said Friday that Sheen was in rehab, but he did not say why.
"Charlie Sheen has voluntarily entered an undisclosed rehabilitation
center today," the spokesman said. "He is most grateful to all who
have expressed their concern."
The terse statement noted that no additional information will be
provided and asked that Sheen's privacy be respected.
CBS, production company Warner Bros. Television and executive producer
Chuck Lorre said in a joint statement that Sheen's rehab has prompted
a halt on production of "Two and a Half Men."
"We are profoundly concerned for his health and well-being, and
support his decision," the companies and Lorre said.
Sixteen of the show's 24-episode order have been taped, with 14 aired so far.
The latest fallout from Sheen's chaotic life came two weeks after CBS'
top entertainment executive said the actor's off-camera actions
haven't affected his work as the star of TV's most popular comedy, the
centerpiece of CBS' Monday comedy lineup.
Sheen's program has increased its audience by 2 percent over last
season, the Nielsen Co. said. He signed a new two-year contract at the
end of last season that makes him one of the highest-paid actors on
prime-time television.
Sheen's headline-making behavior has included a wild night that left a
New York hotel room in shambles and sent him to a hospital, and a
guilty plea last summer to assaulting his wife in Aspen, Colo. Sheen
filled gossip pages again this month by spending a weekend partying in
Las Vegas.
His latest hospitalization was his third in as many months. It came
after a 911 call made on Sheen's behalf by neighbor Dr. Paul Nassif.
The plastic and reconstructive surgeon, along with his wife, Adrienne
Maloof-Nassif, are in the reality show "The Real Housewives of Beverly
Hills."
"We are so glad that Charlie made the decision to seek the assistance
of a rehabilitation center today," Nassif and his wife said in a
statement. "This is something that his friends and family have pushed
for, and we wish him all the love and support he will need in the
coming days."
Last February, Sheen entered rehab for an unspecified problem, forcing
his sitcom to temporarily suspend production.
Earlier this month, CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler was asked
about Sheen at a news conference with TV reporters.
"We have a high level of concern. How can we not?" she said, adding
the situation can't be viewed simplistically. The actor does his job
on "Two and a Half Men" reliably well, she said.
