Anna Faris responded to Chuck Lorre’s criticism of her in his new memoir, admitting his comments hurt her.
“Yikes. Yes, I read a few things. I really didn’t see that coming. Of course it hurts,” Faris, who starred on Lorre’s CBS sitcom “Mom” for seven seasons, wrote on Instagram Thursday afternoon. “Chuck gave me a job I loved, and for seven years I never took a day of it for granted.”
She added: “I’m proud of what we made together and nothing changes how grateful I am for those people and those years.”
As Faris went on, she confirmed that she’s been “sober for a year and a half,” adding, “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 longtime,” she concluded. “If anyone reading this is where I was, I hope that’s useful. It gets better. I’m proof.”
A representative for Lorre did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
Faris’ statement followed the Tuesday release of Lorre’s memoir, titled “Sitcom,” in which the famed showrunner addressed the actress’ time on the CBS comedy – admitting he had an “initial reluctance” to cast her as the show’s lead, recovering alcoholic and single mother Christy Plunkett.
“I initially said no. I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” Lorre wrote in his book. “Then I thought about how badly I’d bungled my working relationship with Charlie Sheen.”
Per Lorre, reflecting on his past dynamic with Sheen made him change his mind, noting, “Someone’s personal life is none of my business. The mom in ‘Mom’ would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”
Faris stepped into the leading role opposite Allison Janney, who played her own alcoholic mother Bonnie Plunkett. The pair led the show between 2013 and 2020, when Faris confirmed that she was exiting the sitcom.
“The past seven years on ‘Mom’ have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career. I’m so thankful to Chuck, the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly wonderful work experience,” Faris shared at the time of her departure. “While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to pursue new opportunities, I’ll be watching next season and rooting for my TV family.”
Yet, as Lorre highlighted in his book, he felt vindicated after Faris’ exit in 2020. “As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct,” he said in the memoir. “After six years, she left the show for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”
“Mom” continued for one season more without Faris, concluding with Season 8 in 2021. Lorre later defended that the show “found its true voice” in its final seasons, adding, “There is hope and there is laughter in overcoming the seemingly fatal disease of alcoholism.”
In August, Faris opened up on the “Dear Chelsea” podcast about her decision to get sober, telling host Chelsea Handler: “It turns out there’s a correlation between drinking and depression for me, for sure. I had to take a step back and not self-sabotage.”
