Celebrity Spotlight: Charlie Sheen’s “Winning” Personal History

Troubled actor Charlie Sheen has had his share of legal woes, and his riotous behavior has landed him in hot water numerous times. Sheen has a long history of personal chaos and illegal mayhem, and he has often faced arrest, court hearings, jail time and stints in rehab due to extensive drug and alcohol abuse. While Sheen seems to have simmered down lately, his problems with the law are nothing short of legendary—and perfectly suitable for discussion in our Celebrity Spotlight series.

The youngest son of Martin Sheen and brother to actor Emilio Estevez, acting has always played a large role in Charlie Sheen’s life story. He made his first film appearance at the age of nine in 1974 and seriously began his career in 1984, when he appeared in Red Dawn. He is best known for his roles in movies such as Platoon and Wall Street and the television shows Spin City and Two and a Half Men

Arrests and probation

Sheen has been in trouble with law enforcement officers numerous times, most often for violence against women. His first domestic violence encounter came in 1996 after he beat then-girlfriend Brittany Ashland. Sheen pled no contest to misdemeanor battery charges from hitting Ashland, and was put on probation and ordered to pay a fine. He violated probation in 1998, when he nearly died from a drug overdose.

On Christmas Day in 2009, Sheen was arrested for assaulting then-wife Brooke Mueller and eventually charged with felony menacing, third-degree assault and criminal mischief. He pled guilty to third-degree domestic violence for attacking Mueller.

In 2010, Sheen was once again taken into police custody for trashing a New York City hotel room he was camped out in with adult film starlet, Capri Anderson. His present employer, CBS, had had enough, and it was announced in 2011 that Two and a Half Men would be suspended for the remainder of the season. The network put the blame clearly on Sheen’s conduct and the news sent Sheen into a drug-fueled rant. His antics in the following weeks contributed to CBS’ decision to fire him in March of 2011.

Divorce and child custody issues

Sheen’s family life has encountered many bumps over the years. His first marriage to Donna Peele lasted from September of 1995 to November 1996, during which time Sheen had to testify in court that he had spent somewhere around $50,000 on call girls. His second marriage to Denise Richards lasted from June 2002 to November 2006, with Richards filing for divorce while pregnant with their second daughter. His most recent marriage to Brooke Mueller lasted from May 2008 to May 2011, and the couple had twins together. His divorces from Richards and Mueller were well publicized and the source of extensive tabloid fodder.

Sheen has five children, the oldest being Cassandra Jade Estevez, born when Sheen was just 19. He had two daughters, Sam and Lola Rose, with Denise Richards, and twin sons Bob and Max with Brooke Mueller. Sheen has been involved in custody battles with Richards and Mueller. He lost custody of daughters Sam and Lola after he was arrested for assaulting Mueller in 2009, and lost custody of sons Bob and Max in March of 2011 during the middle of his very public meltdown.

Lawsuits

In 1995, Sheen was sued by an unnamed UCLA student who claimed Sheen hit her when she declined to have sex with him. The lawsuit was settled out of court.

In 2011, Sheen fired a wrongful termination lawsuit against CBS and Warner Bros. in response to being fired from Two and a Half Men. The suit was settled in September of 2011, but the terms of the settlement are confidential. Los Angeles employment attorneys were involved in the case, which is very common in wrongful determination suits.

Though Sheen is not directly involved in the suit, his newest show is presently embroiled in an intellectual property lawsuit over who created the show. He is presently threatening to sue the New York City strip club Cheetahs Club over the club’s naming a VIP suite after him.

What the future holds

Sheen is ready to get back to television with his new show Anger Management. Slated to start in June 2012, the show’s name is a fitting title for a show based on his ongoing bad-boy persona. It may be possible that Sheen is taking small steps at managing his anger in real life too. After saying Ashton Kutcher “sucks” on Two and a Half Men, Sheen apologized.