Execs should say, 'Sorry, Charlie'

In the past week, Charlie Sheen has lost his smash sitcom, his children and his credibility. Finally.

You didn't need to be Dr. Drew Pinsky to see the "Two and a Half Men" star flirting with disaster more than a year ago, but CBS executives and show creator Chuck Lorre pooh-poohed the reports of Sheen's porn-star partying, his stints in rehab and the accusations that he threatened his wife. Instead, they reacted as if his greatest sin was belching in public.

At a news conference 13 months ago, I tried to get Lorre to address Sheen's recent arrest. Lorre, who treats the press like a dentist who is trying to extract a perfectly healthy tooth, responded with a dumb joke and praised his actor as a "consummate pro." CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler was slightly classier in her response, but also insisted that Sheen's troubles were a personal matter that had nothing to do with the network.

I suspect, but can't confirm, that she then retreated to her lair to bathe in the millions of dollars that TV's most popular sitcom has brought CBS.

Some have speculated that Hollywood executives' hands were tied because Sheen, like most top-tier celebs, doesn't have a morals clause in his contract. That may be true, but there's probably nothing on paper to have kept his bosses from publicly denouncing a troubled young man's behavior and clamming up on the compliments. By feeding his ego and making him TV's highest-paid actor, the suits have served as enablers, as guilty as any drug dealer or hooker who delivers to his mansion.

What finally got CBS and Lorre to pull the plug and cancel the rest of the season? It wasn't Sheen's at-home rehab strategy, his declaration that he's a warlock or the fact that his sons were growing up around porn actresses. It's that he insulted the brass. The only thing more powerful than money in Hollywood is ego, and Sheen stepped in it big time.

It might just be the mistake that saves his life. By finally convincing CBS to do the right thing (for all the wrong reasons), Sheen may be forced to realize he needs serious help. Of course, that realization can't occur until the other networks stop contributing to the problem. This week on NBC's "Today" show, I've seen more of Sheen than Al Roker, and his prime-time sitdown on ABC's "20/20" was a ratings smash. In his mind, that means he's "winning." In my mind, that means he's "sinking."

When Britney Spears had her meltdown in early 2008, I spent a few days throwing mud, then declared a temporary moratorium on jokes and gossip until Spears was in shape to handle the knocks. It's time the media and the industry take the same approach with Sheen. It may mean taking a financial hit, but it could salvage something much more valuable: their souls.

njustin@startribune.com • 612-673-7431 Follow Justin on Twitter: @nealjustin