'Two and a Half Men' creator/producer Chuck Lorre says he shut down 'Two and a Half Men' several months ago to save star Charlie Sheen's life.

That's what he tells TV Guide in its next issue. Lorre says "You can't do that much cocaine and work," referring to what he says Sheen was doing. "I didn't want to be writing a sitcom while my friend died. Or worse, hurt someone else."

Of course, shutting down the show for awhile was what led to the end of that friendship and, later, Sheen's ouster from the show. Sheen sued Warner Brothers and they settled earlier this year. Details of the settlement were not disclosed, though some say Sheen got around $25 million. Sheen was eventually replaced by Ashton Kutcher.

Without Sheen, 'Two and a Half Men' continues to get good ratings, though fans are split on whether or not Kutcher's Walden Schmidt is a good replacement for Sheen's Charlie Harper character.

No word from Sheen yet on Lorre's comments, though we should all keep an eye on Sheen's Twitter account to see what he has to say about it.

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