Anna Faris has said she was hurt by comments made by producer Chuck Lorre about her departure from the television sitcom Mom, describing his remarks as unexpected and painful.
Faris played Christy Plunkett, a single mother dealing with drug and alcohol addiction, in the CBS comedy for seven seasons before leaving ahead of its eighth and final season.
Lorre, the creator of Mom and The Big Bang Theory, discusses Faris’s casting and exit in his memoir. Some of his comments appear to allude to her personal struggles with alcohol addiction.
Anna Faris responds to Chuck Lorre’s comments
In the book, Lorre, 73, writes that he was initially uncertain whether Faris was suitable for the role. He says he reconsidered after reflecting on his difficult working relationship with Charlie Sheen on Two And A Half Men.
“I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” Lorre writes.
He adds: “Then I thought about how badly I’d bungled my working relationship with Charlie Sheen.”
Lorre says he decided that Faris’s personal life should not influence his casting decision, writing: “The mom in Mom would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”
Faris went on to star opposite Allison Janney, who played her on-screen mother, Bonnie Plunkett, throughout the series.
However, Lorre later writes: “As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct.”
He continues: “After six years, she left the show for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”
Responding on Instagram, Faris said she had been taken aback by the remarks.
“Yikes. Yes, I read a few things. I really didn’t see that coming. Of course it hurts,” she wrote.
Despite her reaction, Faris said she remained grateful for the opportunity and the time she spent making the programme.
“Chuck gave me a job I loved, and for seven years I never took a day of it for granted. I’m proud of what we made together, and nothing changes how grateful I am for those people and those years,” she said.
Faris also gave an update on her sobriety, saying: “I’ve been sober for a year and a half. I was on a show about recovery and then I lived it. Now I’m healthy, I’m working and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time.”
She added: “If anyone reading this is where I was, I hope that’s useful. It gets better, I’m proof.”
