Anna Faris is receiving support from another Mom costar who slammed Chuck Lorre for his recent comments about her.
French Stewart, who played Chef Rudy, took to Instagram on Wednesday, October 21, to share a photo of him and Faris from the show, writing, “Anna Faris is one of my all time favorite costars. Funny. Kind. Prepared. Delivered on show night.”
Stewart, 62, recalled working with Faris, 49, on multiple seasons of the CBS sitcom.
“The vast majority of my eight years on Mom was spent working with Anna. She was Mom. The spine of the show. And a legit good person,” he noted. “I was disheartened to see Chuck Lorre throw her under the television bus in his new book.”
The actor continued: “I’ll say this. Whenever I saw Anna — I saw a woman working hard to make a good show. Whenever I saw Chuck — I saw a man trying hard not to turn into a werewolf.”
Shutting down Lorre’s recent claims about Faris, Stewart added, “That was my experience. I wouldn’t trade a day working with her.”
Mom, which aired from 2013 to 2021, followed a dysfunctional mother and daughter duo who reunited after having been estranged for years while both struggling with addiction. Creator Lorre, 74, recently reflected on his experience on the show in his memoir, Sitcom, in which he mentioned not wanting to cast Faris in the lead role opposite Allison Janney.
“I initially said no. I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” he wrote in the book, which was released earlier this month.
Lorre ultimately changed his tune after thinking about his complicated relationship with Charlie Sheen while making Two and a Half Men.
“Then I thought about how badly I’d bungled my working relationship with Charlie Sheen,” Lorre added. “Someone’s personal life is none of my business. The mom in Mom would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”
Faris surprised audiences in 2020 when she announced her exit from Mom.
“The past seven years on Mom have been some of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my career. I’m so thankful to Chuck, the writers, and my amazing castmates for creating a truly wonderful work experience,” Faris said at the time. “While my journey as Christy has come to an end, allowing me to pursue new opportunities, I’ll be watching next season and rooting for my TV family.”
Lorre addressed Faris’ departure in his book, writing, “As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct. After six years, she left the show for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”
Faris later responded to Lorre’s digs.
“Yikes. Yes. I read a few things. I really didn’t see that coming. Of course it hurts,” she wrote via Instagram. “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.”
Faris also shared an update on her personal sobriety journey.
“I’ve been sober for a year and a half. I was on a show about recovery and then I lived it,” she wrote. “Now I’m healthy, I’m working, and I’m happier than I’ve ever been in a long time. If anyone reading this is where I was, I hope that’s useful. It gets better. I’m proof.”
