Will Sheen's Leave of Absence From 'Two and a Half Men' Cost Him Money?

Charlie Sheen's recent behavior has been questionable on many levels. But could his actions cost him money due to a morals clause in his 'Two and a Half Men' contract? It's possible, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Sheen entered a rehab facility for unspecified reasons earlier this week, following his arrest in on Christmas Day, in which he was accused of attacking his wife, Brooke Mueller (also in rehab for crack and alcohol addiction). He was later charged with felony menacing and misdemeanor assault.

In Hollywood, attention is now focused on the future of CBS' 'Two and a Half Men,' which Sheen recently took a leave of absence from to seek treatment. Now, the question remains: If the series has a substantial time-out because of Sheen, who's going to pay?Charlie Sheen's recent behavior has been questionable on many levels. But could his actions cost him money due to a morals clause in his 'Two and a Half Men' contract? It's possible, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Sheen entered a rehab facility for unspecified reasons earlier this week, following his arrest in on Christmas Day, in which he was accused of attacking his wife, Brooke Mueller (also in rehab for crack and alcohol addiction). He was later charged with felony menacing and misdemeanor assault.

In Hollywood, attention is now focused on the future of CBS' 'Two and a Half Men,' which Sheen recently took a leave of absence from to seek treatment. Now, the question remains: If the series has a substantial time-out because of Sheen, who's going to pay?

If he has a morals clause in his contract, it could be Sheen, according to the report. Sheen has certainly had a checkered past -- he was in rehab in 1990 -- so it seems likely that that the contract would have some provision for bad behavior.

But while they outwardly seem to make sense, morals clauses are difficult to enforce and have less leverage today than in years past, especially in Hollywood, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. The piece points out that morals clauses were not invoked to counter of the bad behavior of Lindsay Lohan or Mel Gibson in the mid-'00s, two cases that are similar to or exceed Sheen's conduct.

Perhaps an insurance company will pay up to cover Sheen's reported $900,000 price tag per episode. It's called the "key man" provision, and as Sheen is the key man in 'Two and a Half Men,' his absence could trigger insurance payouts.

Yet, Sheen's troubled past was probably factored into any coverage agreement and may represent a hurdle in collecting.

"I would expect any policy for a show to have certain exclusions raising known issues," said Mary Craig Calkins, an insurance-recovery specialist at Howrey in Los Angeles in the report. "Certain lifestyle choices might be in that contract."

A likely scenario is that CBS and WBTV will re-open contract negotiations with Sheen in order to reach a settlement while he's away.