Charlie Sheen's Bizarre Interview on 'The Today Show'

In a bizarre interview on "The Today Show," star of "Two and a Half Men" Charlie Sheen launched a new attack on CBS, the producers of his show, and Warner Brothers which may soon include a $320 million mental anguish suit.

Sheen also launched against Alcoholics Anonymous, claiming that he has conquered his own addiction problems by the sheer force of his will. In any event, Sheen also claimed that his problems with alcohol and drugs did not affect his performance on "Two and a Half Men."

The price of his return to the show, by the way, is a 50 percent raise to $3 million an episode.

The appearance on "The Today Show" was that of a troubled man who seems to be in deep denial of his various problems, of which addiction to alcohol, drugs, and sex seem to be just a symptom. While it is true that Charlie Sheen has been instrumental in turning "Two and a Half Men" into a ratings blockbuster and essentially a money machine for CBS, there is only so much that anyone can tolerate in return for that.

The addiction issues are just one aspect of the train wreck that is Charlie Sheen. That kind of thing is all too common a problem among certain parts of the creative community. Sheen is also abusive toward women, going after one ex-wife with a knife at on one occasion, and causing a date to lock herself in the bathroom in terror while he tore up a hotel room in a rage on another occasion.

Clearly these problems have combined with an entitlement mentality and an outsized ego brought on by too much money and too much adulation to bring Sheen to the edge of personal destruction. His combative attitude, with threats of lawsuits and demands for pay raises, indicate that he doesn't even think he has a problem, at least not one that cannot be managed.

Charlie Sheen the insurance salesman or Charlie Sheen the construction worker would have been sent to jail long ago for half of the things he has done over the past decade or so. But sadly celebrities are given breaks that are not available to the rest of us, because of their fame, and because they make money for so many people. In the end, the people giving people like Sheen these breaks do not do them any favors. This public train wreck has only one ending and it will be tragic and saddening.

Sources: Sheen demands 50 percent raise for 'Two and a Half Men', Seamus McGraw, MSNBC, February 28th, 2011

Charlie Sheen set to sue CBS for $320M for 'mental anguish', Don Kaplan, New York Post, February 28th, 2011

Charlie Sheen's Rant Gets 'Two and a Half Men' Canceled for the Rest of the Season, Mark R. Whittington, Associated Content, February 25th, 2011