Update (6:41 p.m. PST)
Might Charlie Sheen's lawsuit against the producers of the show that fired him last week, "Two and a Half Men," be heard away from the media, in arbitration instead of a courtroom?
Could happen.
According to an individual with knowledge of the case, Warner Bros. has already successfully petitioned Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Services (JAMS) to have Charlie Sheen's lawsuit against heard in that venue.
It's also likely that "Two and a Half Men" producer Chuck Lorre, who is also a defendant in Sheen's lawsuit, will also ask JAMS to handle his end of the case.
However, an individual close to the defendants' legal team suggests that it's too early to say for sure if the case will go to arbitration -- the court will ultimately decide.
While Sheen's contract does contain an arbitration clause, Warner Bros. would have to ask the court for a referral to arbitration, and that is likely several weeks away.
Update (4:25 p.m. PST)
Chuck Lorre's attorney, Howard Weitzman, has issued a response to Charlie Sheen's $100 million lawsuit, calling it "recklessly false":
"The allegations in the complaint against Mr. Lorre are as recklessly false and unwarranted as Mr. Sheen's rantings to the media. These accusations are simply imaginary. This lawsuit is about a fantasy 'lottery' pay-day for Charlie Sheen. Chuck Lorre's concern has been and continues to be about Mr. Sheen's health."
Reported earlier:
Just days after his firing from "Two and a Half Men," Charlie Sheen sued his former employers for $100 million and damages, saying show creator Chuck Lorre's failure to produce scripts -- and not his own problems -- bear the blame for the show's shutdown for the season.
The lawsuit names Lorre and Warner Bros. TV, but not CBS, which airs the hit show. (Read the full complaint here.)
Though the suit says Sheen is suing on behalf of himself and the cast and crew, a Warner Bros. rep noted that no cast or crew are named as plaintiffs and there was no sign they had joined the suit.
Also read: Charlie Sheen's Termination Letter
In unusually personal and vitriolic language for a lawsuit, the complaint repeats Sheen's contention that Lorre was responsible for the show's cancellation for the season last month because he failed to produce new scripts while Sheen was in rehab.
It also argues that Lorre repeatedly mocked Sheen through a series of vanity cards at the end of his shows, and that Lorre had allowed men to "flourish" so he could focus on "Mike & Molly" and "The Big Bang Theory," shows for which he "has a better deal."
"Defendant Chuck Lorre, one of the richest men in television who is worth hundreds of millions of dollars, believes himself to be so wealthy and powerful that he can unilaterally decide to take money away from the dedicated cast and crew of the popular television series 'Two and a Half Men'...
