Charlie Sheen Addresses Latest Binge In New Statement

The world has gotten an earful from the adult-film star who reportedly partied with Charlie Sheen before the "Two and a Half Men" star landed in the hospital last week with severe abdominal pain, but little had been heard from the troubled actor himself since the incident.

That changed on Wednesday, when Sheen issued a rare public statement in which he thanked the people who have supported him in the wake of his latest tribulations, while perhaps implying that he realizes he needs to get his life in order.

"I have a lot of work to do to be able to return the support I have received from so many people," reads the message, which Sheen released through his reps. "I want to say 'thank you' to my fellow cast members, the crew of 'Two and a Half Men,' and everyone at CBS and Warner Bros., especially [CBS CEO] Les Moonves and [Warner Bros. Television Group President] Bruce Rosenblum for their concern and support. And to my fans, your good wishes have touched me very much. Like Errol Flynn, who had to put down his sword on occasion, I just want to say, 'thank you.' "

The final, cryptic reference to old-school Hollywood actor Flynn, who became a sex symbol in the 1930s and '40s in swashbuckling films such as "The Adventures of Robin Hood," "The Adventures of Don Juan" and "Captain Blood," was telling. After a hugely successful onscreen career, a string of affairs with leading ladies and a budding reputation as a brawler, Flynn declined into a drug and alcohol haze in the 1950s before suffering a deadly heart attack in 1959 in the midst of a weeklong partying binge.

Meanwhile, the 911 call made last week on Sheen's behalf by friend and neighbor Dr. Paul Nassif was released this week. According to TMZ, Nassif tells the dispatcher that he'd just had a "kind of weird" conversation with Sheen, who he described as "very, very intoxicated" and in "a lot of pain." He noted that Sheen did not want anyone to call 911.

The polite statement from Sheen seems to indicate that the 45-year-old actor is dealing with his issues. Earlier reports indicated that Sheen would spend three months in rehab, but it now appears that he is getting unspecified treatment in his home. According to E! Online, Sheen allegedly struck out at some of the rumors that have surfaced in the wake of his latest troubles in a series of text messages on Wednesday shortly before the official statement was released. He said stories that father Martin Sheen is looking to set up a Britney Spears-style conservatorship and that "Two and a Half Men" could be canceled are "all crap."

"Believe nothing. I will never speak about any of this as long as I'm alive," Sheen wrote. "You're all gonna have to keep towing the same redundant line, guessing wrong ... BTW, two wars are in an endless state of sorrow. Egypt about burned to the ground, and all you people care about is my bullsh--....?" He also labeled the focus on his personal life by the media "pathetic."

In another twist, while producers had expected "Men" to be on hiatus for several months while Sheen is in rehab, Variety reported that work could crank up again by the end of February after closing down production abruptly last Friday in the wake of its star's hospitalization.

Sheen's manager, Mark Burg, told the trade magazine that "it's everybody's intent right now that we're back in production at the end of February ... Charlie wants to work. He wants to get back at it. He feels bad for the crew and the cast and he wants to get the ship sailing again."

Burg said his client is "doing great" at the moment and that the actor's team is focused on addressing Charlie's issues with a "lifelong plan for sobriety." But, as with all recovering addicts, "it's a long process."

What's your take on the latest chapter in Sheen's long battle with substance abuse? Tell us in the comments.