The Book of Sheen: A Memoir

Charlie Sheen describes meeting Matthew Perry during the 2007 writers’ strike and attending a “private men’s group” at Perry’s home (260). At a party, he meets Brooke, who says she is sober. They date, attend meetings, and marry a year later. He later reflects that the decision was driven partly by affection and partly by loneliness and fear.

In 2009, the couple has premature twins, Bob and Max, who spend a month in the NICU. Sheen splits time between the hospital and work, learning lines beside their incubators. After the boys return home, ongoing legal and personal conflicts with Denise Richards and a strained domestic situation with Brooke intensify.

Sheen resumes taking prescription painkillers and shares them with Brooke, which he judges to be a serious mistake. Alcohol and crack follow, ending an 11-year stretch of abstinence. A holiday crisis in Aspen precedes the decision to file for divorce from Brooke, a decision that is “messy, painful, and pricey” (262). His substance use escalates, production on Two and a Half Men halts with eight episodes remaining, and he stops communicating with the show.

CBS president Les Moonves personally urges Sheen to enter rehab. Sheen declines and vows to recover at home.