Anna Faris Says She's Been 'Sober for a Year and a Half' and Remains Proud of 'Mom' Series Despite Chuck Lorre's Memoir Criticism

Anna Faris remains proud of the seven seasons she spent on Mom, but she did not expect creator Chuck Lorre to revisit her departure by suggesting his early doubts about casting her had been justified.

“Yikes. Yes, I read a few things. I really didn’t see that coming. Of course it hurts,” Faris wrote in an October 15 Instagram post.

In his memoir Sitcom, Lorre recalled questioning whether Faris was right to play Christy Plunkett, a single mother in recovery, when the CBS comedy was being cast. Allison Janney played Christy’s mother, Bonnie, who was also navigating sobriety.

“I wasn’t sure Anna would be appropriate for this kind of material,” he wrote. His difficult experience with Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men initially led him to reconsider judging a performer by their private life.

“Someone’s personal life is none of my business,” Lorre recalled deciding. “The mom in Mom would be, and should be, Anna Faris.”

He wrote that his view changed during the series.

“As the years went by, it became apparent that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was, in fact, correct,” Lorre claimed. “After six years, she left the show for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”

Faris announced her departure in September 2020, before Mom’s eighth and final season. At the time, she said she was leaving to pursue new opportunities without offering further explanation.

Responding to Lorre, Faris emphasized the value she placed on the show and her colleagues.

“Chuck gave me a job I loved, and for seven years I never took a day of it for granted,” she wrote. “I’m proud of what we made together, and nothing changes how grateful I am for those people and those years.”

Faris also revealed that she has been sober for a year and a half. She previously discussed experiencing depression and recognizing a connection between her drinking and mental health.

“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 been in a long time.”

Lorre recently said he has not spoken with Faris since her exit.

“If anyone reading this is where I was, I hope that’s useful,” Faris concluded. “It gets better. I’m proof.”