Chuck Lorre has spent decades making America laugh with shows like“The Big Bang Theory,”“Mom,”and“Young Sheldon.”But his new memoir,“Sitcom: A Memoir,”released October 13, 2026, shows a side of the guy that fans never saw. He opens up about firing Charlie Sheen from“Two and a Half Men”in 2011, admitting he refused to believe Sheen was spiraling even with overwhelming evidence. The two eventually reconciled and worked together again on the 2023 series“Bookie.”
The book also covers Lorre’s 10 years in Scientology, his recovery journey (he’s now over 25 years sober), and his tense experience writing on“Roseanne.”He credits fatherhood with motivating him to build a stable career in television, which led to an empire of hit sitcoms. Fun fact: he also wrote Debbie Harry’s 1986 single“French Kissin’in the USA”and the“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”theme song. Renaissance man.
Perhaps the most powerful part? Lorre admits that success never brought him inner peace. In his words, he thought a hit show would make everything okay, but he realized he’d still be the same person he was before. It’s a candid, humanizing look at a man who’s made millions of people laugh while quietly fighting his own battles. Have you picked up a copy yet? Let us know what you think.
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.