Charlie Sheen Defends Chuck Lorre Rant; Denies He's an Anti-Semite

The Anti-Defamation League has weighed in on Charlie Sheen's radio rant on Thursday, especially the actor calling Two and a Half Men co-creator Chuck Lorre by his Jewish name -- Chaim Levine.

"By invoking television producer Chuck Lorre’s Jewish name in the context of an angry tirade against him, Charlie Sheen left the impression that another reason for his dislike of Mr. Lorre is his Jewishness," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "This fact has no relevance to Mr. Sheen’s complaint or disagreement, and his words are at best bizarre, and at worst, borderline anti-Semitism."

And the ADL aren't the only ones upset. An Los Angeles-based Rabbi who works with Oakland-based Jewish Voice For Peace said Friday he was "sad" over Sheen's remarks. "These are very angry and crazed people," said Haim Beliak in an email.

Meanwhile Sheen, who has referred to Lorre as a "maggot" and a "clown," insists he is not an anti-Semite.

"I was referring to Chuck by his real name, because I wanted to address the man and not the bullshit persona," he told TMZ.

Following Sheen's outburst, CBS and Warner Bros. pulled the plug on Men for the remainder of the season.