“Mom” co-star Anna Faris called her “the backbone of the” hit series after co-creator Chuck Lorre’s scathing memoir.
French Stewart, who played Chef Rudy on the CBS comedy, posted a throwback photo Wednesday with Faris — “one of (his) favorite co-stars of all time” — via Instagram.
The actor, 62, described Faris to his followers as someone “funny, kind (and) prepared” who “delivered on his promises on the night of the show.”
Stewart noted that he spent “the majority” of his eight years on “Mom” alongside Faris, whom he called a “very good person.”
He added that it was “disheartening to see Chuck Lorre throw her under the TV bus in his new book.”
Lorre, notably, wrote in his story “Sitcom,” released Oct. 13, that he felt vindicated when Faris left the show in 2020 after seven seasons as Christy Plunkett.
The series continued for one more season without her.
“I wasn’t sure (during casting) that Anna would be appropriate for this kind of film,” the 74-year-old director explained to his readers. “Over the years, it became clear that my initial reluctance to hire Anna was in fact justified.”
He compared Faris to Charlie Sheen, who caused “a lot of anxiety” on the set of “Two and a Half Men” but ultimately decided that “anyone’s personal life was none of their business” and that “the mom in ‘Mom’ would, and should be, Anna Faris.”
However, Lorre continued: “After six years, she left the show for mysterious reasons that weren’t mysterious to anyone on the show.”
Stewart denounced this Wednesday, writing: “I will say this. Every time I saw Anna, I saw a woman working hard to put on a good show. Every time I saw Chuck, I saw a man trying his best not to turn into a werewolf.”
He concluded: “That was my experience. I wouldn’t trade a day’s work with her.”
George Paez, who played a character named Ramone, said he was “okay” with Stewart’s portrayal of Faris.
“Anna always made me feel welcome,” Paez wrote. “When she said my name out loud, my heart would light up and I would say to myself, ‘She remembered my name.’”
Representatives for Lorre and Faris did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
Faris responded to Lorre’s disses with a statement on Instagram Story last week.
“Yeah. Yes, I read a few things. I really didn’t see this coming,” the actress wrote. “Of course it hurts.”
Clarifying how “grateful” she is to Lorre for her time on the show, Faris continued: “I’ve been sober for a year and a half. I was on a show about recovery and then I experienced it.
“Now I’m healthy, I’m working and I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time,” she concluded. “If anyone reading this is where I was, I hope this is helpful. It’s getting better. I’m proof.”
If you or someone you care about is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
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