The makers of "Two and A Half Men" on Thursday denied they were in talks to reinstate fired star Charlie Sheen, and made clear there was no chance of him returning to the hit TV comedy.
Sheen, formerly the highest-paid actor on U.S. television, was booted out of the CBS show in March after he publicly insulted both the studio, Warner Bros. Television, and series co-creator Chuck Lorre.
But Sheen, currently on a bizarre, one-man "Violent Torpedo of Truth" stage tour of North America, claimed this week he was in talks with his former bosses about a possible return.
"Those statements are false. As you know, there have been no discussions, there are no discussions and there will be no discussions, regarding his (Sheen's) returning to or having any involvement with the series," attorneys for Warner Bros. wrote in a letter to the actor's lawyer.
Sheen, who has built up 3.5 million followers on Twitter, had no response to the letter on Thursday.
"Two and A Half Men," in which Sheen starred as a womanizing bachelor, was the highest-rated comedy on U.S. television with about 14 million regular viewers and a lucrative source of advertising revenue for CBS.
Last month, there were unconfirmed reports that CBS chief Les Moonves wanted Sheen back, if he could work out his issues with Lorre and Warner Bros.
But the Warner Bros. letter on Thursday appeared to rule out any hope of a reconciliation with Sheen, who has continued to trash his former bosses and some of his co-stars.
Sheen has been in and out of drug rehab in the last 12 months and was convicted last year of assaulting his then-wife. He filed a $100 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. in March for unfair dismissal.
But he told a Boston radio station this week that the chances of him returning to "Men" were about 85 percent.
"There's been discussions, but I was asked not to divulge anything. Had they told me at the end of season 8 that that behavior wasn't going to be cool, I would have adjusted it," he said.
Meanwhile Sheen's hastily produced stage show "My Violent Torpedo of Truth: Defeat is Not An Option" opened to heckles and booing earlier this month but has sold out in many cities.
Warner Bros. and CBS have yet to say whether they will bring back "Two and A Half Men" in a different format or with a different star for the 2011-2012 season starting in September.
They have until mid-May to make a decision before the main TV networks present their new season line-up to advertisers in New York.
CBS is a unit of CBS Corp, and Warner Bros. Television is owned by Time Warner Inc.