Names and faces

LITTLE ROCK — CBS and Warner Brothers have decided to shut down production of the hit comedy Two and a Half Men, the companies said Thursday, after star Charlie Sheen attacked the creator of the show, Chuck Lorre, in two interviews. CBS and Warner Brothers, which produces the show, said, “Based on the totality of Charlie Sheen’s statements, conduct and condition, CBS and Warner Brothers Television have decided to discontinueproduction of Two and a Half Men for the remainder of the season.” The two companies acted Thursday after the two interviews, the first with a syndicated radio host and then with the celebrity gossip website TMZ. In both, the actor assailed Lorre, calling him a “clown” and a “charlatan” whose “tin can” of a show Sheen said he had converted into “pure gold.” In both interviews Sheen said Lorre’s real name is Chaim Levine. He was born Charles Levine; a Hebrew version would be Chaim. The comment struck executives at both CBS and Warner Brothers as anti-Semitic, said an executive who had spoken with representatives of both companies.

Dior star designer John Galliano was suspended, French media reported Friday, one day after he was accused of making anti-Semitic comments and becoming combative on a bistro terrace in Paris. Police took Galliano in for interrogation after a complaint by a couple he is accused of targeting. The prosecutors and police, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, say Galliano’s blood-alcohol level was excessive. “Dior affirms with the utmost conviction its policy of zero tolerance towards any anti-Semitic or racist words or behavior,” chief executive Sidney Toledano said in a statement. Through his attorney, Galliano denied the accusation that he had made racist or anti-Semitic remarks to the couple. They told the Europe 1 broadcaster that Galliano had, among other things, told them: “Dirty Jewish face, you should be dead.”