"Two and a Half Men" creator Chuck Lorre -- whose show was canceled for the rest of the season -- was the target of Charlie Sheen's insane radio rant on Thursday, but Sheen said his diatribe was directed at one Chaim Levine. So, what gives?
Sheen, blasting Lorre on the Alex Jones Radio Show before later challenging him to an ultimate fight, claimed in his rant that Lorre's real name was Chaim Levine. That statement was taken by some to be anti-semitic, and here's why:
Lorre's real name is, in fact, Charles Levine; obviously, Chuck is a nickname for Charles, and Levine was indeed his family name. So where does Chaim come from? Chaim is the hebrew version of Charles. It'd be like saying someone of Latino descent, legally named George, is in fact named Jorge. Using the wrong name is a way at jabbing at his religious background.
Here's what Sheen said about Lorre to Jones:
"I'm tired of being told 'You can't talk about that, you can't talk about that.' Bull S-H-I-T. There's something this side of deplorable that a certain Chaim Levine -- yeah, that's Chuck's real name -- mistook this rock star for his own selfish exit strategy, bro. Check it, Alex: I embarrassed him in front of his children and the world by healing at a pace that his unevolved mind cannot process. Last I checked, Chaim, I spent close to the last decade effortlessly and magically converting your tin cans into pure gold. And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write. Clearly someone who believes he's above the law."
Some perceived bringing up the cultural background as anti-semitic, though others point to Lorre's February 8th vanity card in which Lorre himself brought up the name Chaim. Still, he never claimed to be named that, as legally, he isn't.
Later, in a letter to TMZ after finding out that the show had been canceled for the season, Sheen said:
What does this say about Haim Levine after he tried to use his words to judge and attempt to degrade me. I gracefully ignored this folly for 177 shows ... I fire back once and this contaminated little maggot can't handle my power and can't handle the truth. I wish him nothing but pain in his silly travels especially if they wind up in my octagon. Clearly I have defeated this earthworm with my words -- imagine what I would have done with my fire breathing fists. I urge all my beautiful and loyal fans who embraced this show for almost a decade to walk with me side-by-side as we march up the steps of justice to right this unconscionable wrong.
Remember these are my people ... not yours...we will continue on together...
Charlie Sheen
Earlier in February, Lorre included a vanity card at the end of an episode of "Two and a Half Men" that read:
I exercise regularly. I eat moderate amounts of healthy food. I make sure to get plenty of rest. I see my doctor once a year and my dentist twice a year. I floss every night. I've had chest x-rays, cardio stress tests, EKG's and colonoscopies. I see a psychologist and have a variety of hobbies to reduce stress. I don't drink. I don't smoke. I don't do drugs. I don't have crazy, reckless sex with strangers.
If Charlie Sheen outlives me, I'm gonna be really pissed.