After months of trying to reconcile, the couple requested on Jan. 4 that theirThe source of the problem, it seems - at least from Ms. Richards' viewpoint - is that Mr. Sheen has not yet issued a public apology for some of his actions. Mr. Sheen did comment on those actions during an appearance on the Dave Letterman show, but Ms. Richards seems to feel those remarks were not an actual apology.
divorce proceed with a private arbitrator. A source close to the actress told
the magazine, "It's gotten very ugly."
"They aren't talking to each
other at all."A friend of the actor said, "His only concern is for the kids."
Sources familiar with the couple say the relationship fizzled quickly and noted
that reconcilation is out of the question at this point.
This is a typical situation in many divorce situations; the couple eventually reach a point where they stop talking to one another. This situation is even worse, however, because we are dealing with celebrity couples and their public image is their main asset. That image defines their audience appeal - and, of course, audience appeal is what producers consider when it comes to casting an actor for a particular role. It may be that Sheen's bad-boy image may suffer if he issues an apology; maybe he just thinks it will.
Hopefully, couples who are not celebrities but are still going through a divorce as rancorous as the Sheen-Richards split may learn something from this, especially if children are involved. If Mr. Sheen thinks he is protecting his image by hanging tough, then he isn't doing a very good job teaching his children how to be a man.