Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Kayleigh Donaldson | Celebrity | October 16, 2026
Chuck Lorre is releasing his memoir. As a long-time industry player and arguably the most powerful showrunner on network TV, he's got his fair share of stories to tell. The one that went viral related to Anna Faris, the star of his sitcom Mom.
Lorre writes that he "wasn't sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material", despite her being the network's first choice. But he reconsidered his doubts about Faris, writing, "Someone's personal life is none of my business. The mom in 'Mom' would be, and should be, Anna Faris." When Faris left the show in the penultimate season, for "mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show."
It's a pretty pointed comment, right? There had been a lot of rumours swirling that Faris wasn't well or was struggling with some kind of addiction. Given that Mom was a show about just that, it feels kind of mean to deride Faris for her struggles then pat yourself on the back for making a series that proves "there is hope, and there is laughter in overcoming the seemingly fatal disease of alcoholism."
Well, Faris saw the headlines too, and she took to Instagram to respond.
"Yikes. Yes, I read a few things. I really didn't see that coming. Of course it hurts.Chuck gave me a job I loved, and for seven years I never took a day of it for granted. I'm proud of what we made together, and nothing changes how grateful I am for those people and those years.
I've been sober for a year and a half. I was on a show about recovery and then I lived it. Now I'm healthy, I'm working, and I'm happier than I've been in a long time. If anyone reading this is where I was, I hope that's useful. It gets better. I'm proof."
We're glad to hear that Faris, a legendary comedic actress who we've missed from our screens, is doing well. Certainly, her recovery should have remained private, and it did until Lorre forced her hand. What was he proven right about, exactly? He thought Faris couldn't handle this kind of material but her real life became a reflection of it so...? Did he think people would laugh with him at the idea of a woman hitting a low point that led to her quitting her job? I have to assume he thought his readers would side with him because hey, he made The Big Bang Theory, and that trumps everything else. And this coming from the guy who made Charlie Sheen's second act the highest-paid gig on network TV.
Faris has survived addiction, industry-wide misogyny, and having Chris Pratt as an ex-husband, and she still responded to Lorre's dig with more grace than it deserved. Let's get this woman her proper comeback since we're all pretending that Scary Movie sequel didn't happen.
