Angus T. Jones is urging 'Two and a Half Men' fans not to watch anymore, calling his own sitcom "filth."(Photo: Richard Cartwright, CBS)
Two and a Half Men's Angus T. Jones, the center of a media
controversy after making critical comments about the series, late
Tuesday made clear that he appreciates the opportunity he has had on the
CBS hit comedy.
In his first statement regarding a video of a
religious testimony in which he asked viewers to stop watching the show
and said it contained "filth," the 19-year-old Jones expresses gratitude
to his colleagues but does not address the video comments directly.
"Without qualification, I am grateful to and have the highest regard and respect for all of the wonderful people on Two and a Half Men with whom I have worked and over the past 10 years who have become an extension of my family," he says in a statement.
Jones, who has played Jake Harper since Men's
premiere in 2003, credits co-creator Chuck Lorre and others at CBS and
Warner Bros., the show's producer, for "what has been one of the most
significant experiences in my life to date. I thank them for the
opportunity they have given and continue to give me and the help and
guidance I have and expect to continue to receive from them."
The
actor expressed regret to those connected to the show. "I apologize if
my remarks reflect me showing indifference to and disrespect of my
colleagues and a lack of appreciation of the extraordinary opportunity
of which I have been blessed. I never intended that," he says.
In the video testimony, which became a viral sensation Monday, Jones said: "If you're watching Two and a Half Men, please stop watching Two and a Half Men. I'm on Two and a Half Men. I don't want to be on it. ... Please stop filling your head with filth."
CBS and Warner Bros. have declined comment on Jones' video statements or about his status on the show. Men
has two episodes remaining to shoot before the holiday break. Jones
will not appear in either of them, but they were written before the
controversial video surfaced.
Since this is Men, no
stranger to behind-the-scenes controversy, it shouldn't be surprising to
find former star Charlie Sheen, who was fired early last year after a
huge dust-up with management, offering his verdict on the matter to E! Online and People.
"With
Angus's Hale-Bopp-like meltdown, it is radically clear to me that the
show is cursed," Sheen says. (Hale-Bopp is a comet that flew by Earth in
1997, accompanied by a blaze of media hype.)
USA Today