Sheen lawyers seek public trial over sitcom dispute

The 45-year-old actor is suing Warner Brothers studios for $100 million for alleged breach of contract after the show was cancelled for the rest of the season following Sheen\'s public tirades against producer Chuck Lorre.

Sheen is also seeking compensation for the rest of the cast and crew of the top-rated TV series about a hedonistic bachelor, the future of which is in doubt after the sacking of its main star.

"The simplest way to put it, we want this case to go to trial rather than go to arbitration. That\'s what we\'re seeking," Sheen lawyer Marty Singer said in a local TV interview on Tuesday.

Lorre\'s attorney has instead pushed for arbitration.

In a separate legal dispute, the actor appeared before the Los Angeles Supreme Court on Tuesday to demand custody of his children, who are now in the care of his estranged wife Brooke Mueller.

Sheen said police removed the two boys from his home in early March after Mueller expressed concern over their welfare.

The proceedings were closed to the public, but the website TMZ.com and other celebrity media said the judge upheld the current custody arrangement.

Mueller is reportedly being treated for drug addiction.

Sheen has boasted of his own wild lifestyle and drug binges, but claimed to have single-handedly defeated addiction during a series of bizarre interviews and public appearances that have recently made him a tabloid mega-star.

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