Sheen fired from Two and a Half Men

Warner Bros. Television says it has firedCharlie Sheen from the hit sitcom Two and a Half Men.

The studio that produces the CBS series said the decision was made after "careful consideration."

Sheen'serratic personal life had prompted Warner to suspend production on the show for the season, and Sheen in return had been waging an angry media campaign against the show's producers.

No decision has been made on the future of the series, Warner Bros. said in a statement.

The actor, who has used TV, radio and social media to create a big megaphone for himself, was not silent for long.

In a text to The Associated Press, Sheen responded, with the F-word and "They lose," followed by the word "Trolls." Asked if he planned to sue, Sheen texted back, "Big." As for his next move, Sheen texted, "A big one."

A call to his attorney, Marty Singer, for comment was not immediately returned.

Warner delivered a termination notice to Sheen Monday at his home, though he has a year remaining on his contract.

No $1-million raise for Sheen

In public statements last week, the actor claimed he would not return to the show unless he was given a $1-million raise.

The firing capped a rare, raging public battle between a Hollywood star and those who employ him, with Sheen claiming the right to live as he pleased including the acknowledged use of illegal drugs, although he's said he is currently clean as long as he showed up sober and ready to work.

Two and a Half Men, which debuted in 2003, stars Sheen as womanizing bachelor Charlie Harper, who creates an ad hoc family with his neurotic brother, the divorced Alan (Jon Cryer) and Alan's son, Jake (Angus T. Jones).

The show was co-created by veteran producer Chuck Lorre, who contributes two other comedies to the top-rated CBS lineup, The Big Bang Theory and Mike & Molly. Like Men, both are produced with Warner.

Sheen focused many of his attacks on Lorre, and in the end the studio "went with the hit-maker," said media industry analyst Shari Anne Brill.

Helicoptersstake outSheen's home

Several news camera crews were camped out Monday across the street from Sheen's gated neighbourhood, Mulholland Estates, in hopes that he'd emerge to discuss his dismissal. A few news helicopters also surveyed the scene from above the Hollywood Hills.

Warner and CBS had long faced a balancing act with Sheen as he underwent rehab and two ugly splits from wives No. 2 (Denise Richards) and No. 3 (Brooke Mueller Sheen). On one side was the wayward star, on the other was TV's most successful and highly lucrative sitcom, anchoring Monday for CBS and making hundreds of millions of dollars for Warner.

Last month, Warner cancelled the remaining eight episodes of what was intended to be a 24-episode season of Men, citing Sheen's public behaviour and rants against Lorre.

In a series of interviews, including with ABC's Good Morning America and NBC's Today show, Sheen boasted about his "epic" partying, said he's fueled by "violent hatred" of his bosses and claimed to have kicked drugs at home in his "Sober Valley Lodge."

He glorified himself as a "rock star from Mars" with "fire breathing fists" and "Adonis DNA" and talked about his home life with two women he nicknamed his "goddesses."

There was public fascination with the gloves-off battle. When Sheen added Twitter to the arsenal, he gained 1 million followers in an unprecedentedly brief 25 hours, leading Guinness World Records to establish a new category and crown him the champion. He now has well over 2 million followers.