• 16
  • March
    2011

In the past few weeks, Charlie Sheen worked his way into the corners of almost every American household. From child custody battles to drug use and sexual expeditions, people are intrigued by his winning attitude, and within two weeks of joining Twitter, more than 2.8 million people started following his tweets.

Now Charlie Sheen may also be on his way to a successful wrongful termination lawsuit. Although some people initially dismissed his lawsuit as a publicity stunt or another one of his online rants, California lawyers believe his case has credence.

Many employees sign at-will contracts, meaning either the employee or the employer can terminate the working relationship at any time and without reason. Sheen's employment contract is more complex than those of many individuals, but it boils down to the same basic principle: an employer cannot fire an employee in retaliation or out of discrimination.

Although Warner Bros and Chuck Lorre say they're concerned about Sheen's health and his drug problems, neither are recent developments. In fact, Sheen's contract was recently renegotiated in the midst of his drug problems.

In their termination letter, Warner Bros. accused Sheen of poor performance, drug use and violence toward women, but the timing of his termination suggests it may have been more than that. He was fired just days after publically criticizing Chuck Lorre.

Warner Bros. said they were concerned for Sheen's health and pointed to the morals clause of his contract, but where was that clause during Sheen's day-to-day activities? There will likely be no shortage of court appearances before the case is settled, but hopefully Sheen's attorneys can effectively prove that Sheen's termination was unsupported and illegal.

Source: Hollywood News, "Charlie Sheen's lawsuit against bosses not an easy case," Marilyn Beck and Stacy Jenel Smith, 12 March 2011