Highlights
- Anna Faris recently responded to harsh comments Chuck Lorre wrote about her exit from the sitcom Mom.
- Chuck Lorre claimed in his new memoir that his early reluctance to cast Faris was proven to be correct.
- The actress bravely revealed she is currently a year and a half sober while dismissing his harsh remarks.
Anna Faris is directly addressing her former boss’s painful public remarks. The actress responded to television producer Chuck Lorre after he criticized her departure from the CBS sitcom Mom.
Lorre recently published his new book, Sitcom: A Memoir. In the text, he claimed he felt “initial reluctance” to hire Faris for the lead role of Christy Plunkett.
He admitted his hesitation stemmed from her private life. “I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” Lorre wrote.
Lorre recalled his past workplace issues with Charlie Sheen before deciding to overlook Faris’s private struggles. “Then I thought about how badly I’d bungled my working relationship with Charlie Sheen,” Lorre explained.
He ultimately decided to cast her despite his misgivings. “Someone’s personal life is none of my business,” Lorre noted. “The mom in Mom would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”
However, Lorre used the memoir to validate his early doubts. “As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct,” he stated.
Faris famously left the sitcom in September 2020 after starring in seven seasons. Lorre wrote that she departed “for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”
Lorre also criticized CBS for ending the series after Faris left. “CBS decided they could live without a perfect cast led by a national treasure,” Lorre wrote. “They canceled a show starring Allison Janney.”
Faris addressed the author’s claims directly on Instagram on Thursday. “Yikes. Yes, I read a few things,” Faris wrote.
She did not hide the emotional toll of his words. “I really didn’t see that coming. Of course it hurts,” she admitted.
Despite the public slight, Faris remained respectful toward her former employer. “Chuck gave me a job I loved, and for seven years I never took a day of it for granted,” she wrote.
The hit series followed a single mother navigating addiction and repairing her relationship with her own mother. “I’m proud of what we made together, and nothing changes how grateful I am for those people and those years,” Faris stated.
Faris then shared a personal health milestone with her audience. “I’ve been sober for a year and a half,” she revealed.
Playing a recovering alcoholic on network television ultimately mirrored her own reality off-camera. “I was on a show about recovery and then I lived it,” she wrote.
Faris confirmed she’s in a very positive place. “Now I’m healthy, I’m working, and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time,” she shared.
She directed her remaining thoughts to fans facing similar addiction struggles. “If anyone reading this is where I was, I hope that’s useful,” Faris wrote.
Faris closed her message with a clear note of encouragement. “It gets better. I’m proof,” she stated.
Several former colleagues publicly supported Faris in her Instagram comments. Justin Long, who guest-starred on the series, praised her professionalism.
“I loved doing those episodes with you,” Long wrote. “You really helped me navigate what was a very different medium for me with patience and so much humor.”
Long concluded his message with deep affection for the actress. “It will forever be such a fun memory, thanks to you. I miss you,” he added.
Fellow actress Isla Fisher also chimed in to defend Faris’s legacy. “You are a comedy QUEEN,” Fisher wrote.
