Anna Faris says Chuck Lorre’s comments about casting her in Mom hurt, but her response also included a personal milestone. She has been sober for 18 months.
The 49-year-old actress shared a statement on Instagram on Thursday, October 15, after reports appeared about her former boss’s new book, Sitcom: A Memoir, released two days earlier.
Lorre writes that he initially rejected Faris for the CBS comedy and later believed her departure justified those doubts.
Faris played Christy Plunkett, a single mother in recovery, opposite Allison Janney as Christy’s mother, Bonnie. The series premiered in September 2013.
Faris Says She Remains Grateful for Her Years on Mom
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Faris opened with “Yikes” and said she had not expected to read that assessment of her time on the show. She described the series as “a job I loved,” thanking Lorre for the opportunity and emphasizing that she had never taken those seven years for granted.
She remained proud of the work and grateful to her colleagues. “I was on a show about recovery and then I lived it,” she wrote, according to TV Insider.
Faris described herself as healthy, working and happier than she had been in a long time. She added, “It gets better. I’m proof.”
Lorre Reconsidered His First Answer After Thinking About Charlie Sheen
The casting discussion began with an email containing Faris’s name. Casting director Nikki Valko recommended her after the pilot script was ready, but Lorre questioned whether she suited the material.
He reconsidered after reflecting on his troubled working relationship with Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men. Lorre wrote that he needed to separate an actor’s personal life from his casting decisions, then called Valko back to approve Faris.
As Entertainment Weekly reported, his memoir describes the reasons for her eventual exit as mysterious to outsiders but familiar to people working on the sitcom. Lorre had no comment when contacted through a representative by TVLine following Faris’s response.
The Original Departure Announcement Called Her the First and Only Choice
Faris’s exit was announced on September 4, 2020, shortly before production began on season eight. She and Janney had previously signed contracts covering both the seventh and eighth seasons.
At the time, Faris said leaving would allow her to pursue other opportunities. The accompanying joint statement from Warner Bros. Television, CBS and Chuck Lorre Productions described her as “the first and only choice for the role of Christy,” according to TheWrap.
During a June 2026 appearance on Happy Sad Confused, Faris recalled struggling to maintain her focus and finding the lengthy commitment unusual. She joked that her longest job outside acting had been a waitressing position lasting only a few months.
She described her departure as complicated. The writers sent Christy to Georgetown to study law. Janney continued with the remaining ensemble until Mom ended in May 2021.
Faris Had Already Discussed Quitting Alcohol With Chelsea Handler
On the August 20, 2026, episode of Dear Chelsea, Faris linked drinking and depression in her own experience and said she had needed to step back from behavior that was hurting her.
She also agreed when Handler asked whether giving up alcohol had helped her appreciate encounters with fans. Faris had begun noticing their smiles when they remembered something funny she had done on screen. She also recalled questioning her ambition in her late 40s and calculating whether she could afford to retire.
She also recalled reuniting with Marlon Wayans while being fitted for hair and makeup on the new Scary Movie. Faris said she had not seen him since a 2001 press tour. She jumped out of her chair, took his forearms and told him how grateful she was to be there.