Shia LaBeouf apparently gave an in-depth interview to FHM’s May issue, and although I can’t find the thing on FHM’s site or anything, lots of media sources have excerpts from the interview. Shia talks about everything from his drinking problem, to how much he hated the second Transformers film, to how he wants to grow into more adult roles. Regarding the adult roles, I kind of think Shia is already there, but whatever. I feel like a cougar whenever I read anything with him – he’s such catnip to older women, probably because he totally seems up for it. Here are some of the quotes I’ve gathered from the interview:

On what the roles he wants to do in the future: “I really like all that beatnik culture, I think it would be fun, just for my family, and the way that I was raised. I don’t know if I’m interested in the blockbuster whimsical stuff any more – I want to be a little ballsier; balls, blood and death, kind of thing… Not outrageously so, just something a little grittier, with a little more meat to chew on.”

On his drinking problem: “Drinking is sh-tty for me, I don’t know how to compose myself… I don’t know how to drink like a gentleman. When I drink, I get crazy. I don’t know how to compose myself. I have never had a beer because I like the taste of beer. I always had a beer to get f-cked up. I’ve been in a lot of trouble. I’ve been arrested a bunch of times. I f-cked around for a while, so now I don’t drink anymore, right now. But that’s just today.”

On the second Transformers movie: “There are a lot of people that liked the second one, but I hated it. I just didn’t enjoy it. I thought we missed the mark. I got confused, I couldn’t see what the f-ck was going on, you know with certain robots… I couldn’t decipher what was happening. There were storyline paths that I just wouldn’t have gone down.”

On the third Transformers film: “I know that directors Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are dedicated to making the best movie we possibly can, and we’re not going to miss next time. We were making our second movie in the middle of the writers’ strike. We had no script. We had to work with nothing. We literally had like 40 pages. And everything was sort of made on the fly. But I think this time we will be more concise, and in a definite direction where we want to take it.”

[Excerpts from FHM, courtesy of Gatecrasher, Teen Hollywood and The Herald Sun]

Yeah, I think Shia should quit drinking, for real. No more of this “But that’s just today” bullsh-t. If he can acknowledge he has a problem, and that he doesn’t know how to just drink and be social and kind, then he should make the decision, “Drinking is not for me, period.” Now, as far as the Transformers criticism… well, I kind of understand what Shia is saying, although if Megan Fox had said the exact same thing, I would have thrown a party and called her an idiot who bites the hand that feeds her. Of course, if Megan Fox had tried to criticize Transformers (like she already has), she would have made it all about how she was the poor little victim and everyone else was just terrible. I think Shia is just making the point that he was let down by the story, and that he hopes the third one will be better – as if he’s speaking as a true fan of the franchise. But still, Shia, don’t bite the hand that feeds you. That always sucks.

Here are some cute photos of Shia with girlfriend Carey Mulligan… damn, I bet the sex is hot:

Last week, there was a report on Radar that Ben Affleck was downing straight vodka while at Sundance. As I stated at the time, Ben is a recovering alcoholic who has been to rehab at least once (in 2001) that we know of. While I questioned the veracity of the report from Radar, I have to say that I wouldn’t be surprised if Ben was drinking again. Which is just my opinion, and I’m only making that judgement from photos of Affleck over the past year – he looks like he’s unhappy. Anyway, In Touch Weekly says that Ben is definitely drinking again, and it’s not just one isolated incident at Sundance. ITW claims that though Ben has “fallen off the wagon” a few times since 2001, he has “largely remained sober for nine years… until now.”

At Sundance, “Ben was definitely drinking,” a witness tells In Touch. “He had vodka on the table in front of him. This comes just 10 days after Ben was seen purchasing bottles of wine in LA.

“Ben’s started to have the odd beer and go out to bars,” a friend explains. Ben’s wife, Jennifer Garner, knows that he’s been drinking again – and she’s very upset about it.

“Jen laid down the law and asked him not to do it, and he promised he wouldn’t,” the friend adds. But not long after Ben landed in Utah, he hit the bottle. “Jen was hurt.”

While Jen knows Ben love her and their daughters with “all of his heart”, she worries that there’s a part of him that misses his old life. While recently filming The Town, Ben lit up whenever he was around Blake Lively. “It’s obvious that Ben’s been itching to let off some steam… he’s dying to have fun.”

But if Ben keeps drinking, his four-year marriage to Jen might be at risk. Although friends say he has no intention of slipping back into his destructive behavior, specialists not that “when a onetime alcoholic begins dabbling in drinking again, it can quickly turn into a full-fledged problem.”

Also troubling: Ben has already started smoking again, a friend reveals: “It’s the worry of one addiction leading to another that scares Jen.”

Jen is keeping an eye on Ben to ensure he doesn’t fall back to his old ways, but she knows that nagging could drive Ben away, and she doesn’t want to lose him to his addictive nature.

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition, February 15, 2010]

The ITW report finishes with this hilarious/bitchy/probably-true quote from Gwyneth Paltrow: “Ben’s ideal woman would be a stripper with a Budweiser in each hand.” Touché, Goop. Well… let’s see. If this is true (big “if”), Ben is back to being a recreational drinker, a smoker (which I do believe, just because it’s so ridiculously easy to start smoking again) and a guy who might need to “scratch his itch” with Blake Lively. However, as many may point out, there are certainly people who have gone through AA or other other programs and then, years later, drink every now and then without it being a problem. And quite honestly, it doesn’t sound like Ben is having any big problems, other than his wife is worried. Except for the Blake Lively thing. I don’t think they had an affair, but I do think Ben was flirting his ass off. And that sucks.

Yesterday, there was a lot of confusion as whether or not Brooke Mueller was headed to rehab for her alleged drug and alcohol abuse issues. Her mother claimed she was going to a “spa” while other sources were like “no, it’s rehab, and it’s for crack.” Because allegedly, Brooke is still on the pipe, according to Radar’s sources. Anyway, as the day came to close, I kind of figured out why there was so much confusion – Brooke is going to rehab, but the facility just doesn’t call itself a rehab. Easy! Seriously, it’s a facility where, according to her lawyer, Brooke can get some “rest” (sobriety) and get “competent medical care.” Meanwhile, the facility’s website describes itself as a place with a “comprehensive wellness program providing exemplary care for individuals who dream of recovery from addictive disorders or co-dependent behaviors.” Hmm…

Charlie Sheen’s wife Brooke Mueller checked into a North Carolina “wellness program” following her release from the hospital’s intensive care unit, a source tells PEOPLE.

Her lawyer, Yale Galanter, confirms she’s in a “facility where she can rest, rest, rest” and get “competent medical care for her mind and body.” He declines to give the name, but says despite her history of drug abuse, she’s not being treated for addiction.

“Brooke did not enter a drug rehab program,” Galanter tells PEOPLE. “She has been drug free for six months. Since Christmas day, she has been assaulted by her husband, almost lost her life, and developed pneumonia. She was released from the hospital a couple of days too early, so she needs to be somewhere doctors can treat her if necessary.”

Mueller, 32, and Sheen, 44, got into a Christmas Day fight in Aspen, resulting in domestic violence charges and a protecting order against the actor. Mueller subsequently was hospitalized for what was described as a severe wisdom tooth infection that led to pneunomia. She was released Monday.

A source close to her family tells PEOPLE she’s now staying at the Two Dreams Outer Banks center, which is described on its Web site as a “comprehensive wellness program providing exemplary care for individuals who dream of recovery from addictive disorders or co-dependent behaviors.”

The treatment includes therapy and medical evaluations along with “therapeutic options” that include massages, yoga and Pilates, according to the Web site.

“Brooke is having a massage right now,” Mueller’s mother Moira Fiore tells PEOPLE. “I insisted she come with me for some stress reduction based on suggestions from her doctors. … I don’t want my daughter to have a nervous breakdown.”

Mueller and Sheen are scheduled to appear in an Aspen, Colo., court Feb. 8 for a hearing on whether to modify the protective order.

Entertainment Tonight first reported Mueller’s stay at Two Dreams.

[From People]

Radar also got Brooke’s stepfather Jon Fiore to “confirm” that Brooke is in this rehab-but-don’t-call-it-rehab facility. Fiore told Radar that Brooke “is recognizing that she needs help and she can’t do it on her own.” After some back anf forth between media outlets and Brooke‘s lawyer (who sounds really dumb), Fiore went on to say:

“She is there [in the NC rehab]. But it’s a recovery place, and it is in a resort setting and the picture I’d like to paint more is that she’s seeking help she wants to, she’s dealing with this. This is a lot to deal with and I commend her for finally, you know, she couldn’t go back to the house, what is she going to do? With all the problems and the stress?”

“She’s getting help and her mother is with her. I commend her for that. The positiveness of this is that she is recognizing that she needs help and she can’t do it on her own.”

“The main thing is it is all about the kids. It really is. These kids are gorgeous, I miss them dearly. I was with them for a month straight and they’re just incredible kids. They’re young enough and hopefully this will all be behind them. The kids are still in California with Charlie and the nanny. “

[From Jon Fiore’s statement to Radar]

I do think it’s important that Brooke gets help, because I think the girl has some issues. Granted, not as many issues as Charlie, but she seems to want to make it competitive. Do I believe that Brooke was still on the pipe just days ago? Not really. My guess is that she’s a recreational drug user and an alcoholic with major emotional issues. I feel for those two babies.

Brooke Mueller on November 29, 2007, credit: Fame Pictures.

Radar Online is calling out Ben Affleck for drinking vodka while at the Sundance Film Festival. According to eyewitnesses, Affleck sat down beside Tommy Lee Jones at one of the parties, and Ben grabbed a bottle of Absolut and poured himself a drink. This is a big deal because Ben is an alcoholic, assumed to be in recovery since he attended rehab back in 2001, although if memory serves, Ben fell off the wagon a few times since then, and admitted as much. But this is the first report of Ben drinking in public that I can remember in years and years. Radar has photos of Ben allegedly drinking, but I really can’t make out what’s in his hand – but there are alcoholic beverages on the table in front of him… which still doesn’t mean anything. Here’s more:

Ben Affleck has fallen off the wagon and is boozing again despite swearing off alcohol for good when he checked into rehab in 2001, RadarOnline.com is reporting exclusively.

Affleck was seen drinking vodka at a Sundance Film Festival party this past weekend.
The actor flew to Utah to attend DirecTV’s The Company Men after party at Village at the Yard. He had just finished participating in the Haiti telethon, which taped in Los Angeles.

At the party for his new movie, Affleck “immediately sat down at a VIP table and grabbed the bottle of Absolut in front of him and poured a drink,” a source told RadarOnline.com.

Publicists, staffers and others were stunned because they know that Affleck is an admitted alcoholic. They got rid of all the photographers near the area to protect Affleck.

Affleck checked into Promises rehab in 2001. At that time his publicist said: “Ben is a self-aware and smart man who had decided that a fuller life awaits him without alcohol. He has chosen to seek out professional assistance, and is committed to traveling a healthier road with the support of his family, friends and fans.”

But Affleck has cleared veered off that healthier road. The source told RadarOnline.com that there was a lot of whispering about Ben drinking again, as staffers watched him toast with Tommy Lee Jones and pour down the vodka while they talked.

Affleck has been married to Jennifer Garner since 2005 and they have two children together.

[From Radar]

Of course it could all be crap. I want to believe that Ben has won the long-term battle with his alcohol and substance abuse, and with his gambling problem. I want to believe that he’s happy with Jennifer Garner and their two beautiful girls, and that he’s no longer that old Ben, the one that overshared and loved the limelight and ruined his promising career. We’ll see.

By the way, after publicly calling his wife out on her overshare, Ben and Jennifer were snapped together yesterday afternoon, both looking very happy and comfortable. So maybe there’s no trouble in paradise.

Ben Affleck in Sundance. Additional photos of Ben and Jen on January 26, 2010. Credit: Fame Pictures.

Wonder of wonders, miracle of miracles: legendary boozer Keith Richards has given up alcohol after seeing the complete train wreck of a life his band-mate Ronnie Wood has made for himself. Sources say that Richards, who famously was so drunk that he didn’t remember composing the guitar lick for the Rolling Stones’ signature song “Satisfaction,” is now retracting his previous vow to drink until the end of his life, thanks to Ron Wood’s non-stop drunken tour of elderly embarrassment that included an affair with a woman young enough to be his grand-daughter.

Keith Richards hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol for over four months, despite previously vowing to drink forever after outliving several doctors who had told him to give up it up.

But four years ago Richards, who has a face like a crinkle cut chip, suffered a brain haemorrhage after he fell out of a palm tree on an alcohol soaked holiday with Wood. And now he’s determined not to end up like Wood, who’ll be partying with The Saturdays and Amelle Berrabah by the end of this week.

A source said:

“He has always quite enjoyed the fact that he seemed to be able to carry on drinking as much as he liked with no real negative impact on his health.

“But he has watched Ronnie fall well and truly off the wagon last year and he doesn’t like what he sees. Plus he has started to feel for the first time like it might do him some good to give up the booze for a while.”

[From Holy Moly]

This whole situation with Ron Wood is kind of fascinating to me. It seems like everyone else around him is learning a valuable life lesson. His long-suffering wife, Jo, has learned that her life is much better without him. His now-ex-girlfriend, Katia Ivanova, is learning that she likes being the former girlfriend of “Grandpa Punchy (TM Kaiser),” because it gets her magazine spreads and TV appearances. And Keith Richards has finally woken up to the fact that an old drunk just isn’t cool – even if that old drunk is wearing leather pants. This is pretty big news. I mean, we’re talking about a guy who allegedly snorted his dad’s cremated remains. I guess the next question is: when will Ron Wood himself learn something?

Another day, another horrible accusation coming out of the Charlie Sheen camp. Earlier this week, we heard about how Brooke Mueller allegedly went into rehab while she was pregnant with their twin boys. Brooke’s camp later denied it, but worded to the specifics: “I know that’s not true. I’m very familiar with the situation, and that’s totally not true. She was not in rehab for alcohol abuse while pregnant. That never occurred. She’s an incredible mother; it’s amazing to see her with her children.” So, she could have gone to rehab when she wasn’t pregnant? I think that’s what they’re saying. Which actually does give me some relief – at least Brooke wasn’t drinking while pregnant, maybe.

Anyway, today’s accusation is about Brooke going into rehab again… but this time, not for alcohol, but for crack. Oh, yes. Charlie’s people are now saying Brooke was a crackhead:

Charlie Sheen’s wife Brooke Mueller was addicted to crack and ended up getting in-patient treatment in rehab, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.

Mueller was treated at Beit T’Shuvah in Los Angeles, said a friend who knew her while she was there. Beit T’Shuvah’s addiction recovery model relies, in part, on a combination of Jewish spirituality and therapy. It offers both in-patient and out-patient care.

“Brooke got in-patient treatment,” said her friend. “There were times when she would disappear for a couple days and come back with bruises and a hospital bracelet on her wrist. She had a serious problem.”

Mueller has also been through alcohol rehab, as RadarOnline.com previously reported. And husband Charlie Sheen, who has done two stints in rehab, was boozing again on Christmas when he was arrested on domestic violence charges.

Sheen even had a “sober minder” with him while he was boozing. He has not publicly addressed the fact that he has relapsed.

Mueller was previously arrested for cocaine possession and DUI. And although her lawyer has called what happened on Christmas one bad night, both Mueller and Sheen have a history of boozing, battling and addiction. Mueller’s rehab for crack addiction was in the early 2000s.

Yale Galanter, who famously represented O.J. Simpson, denied that Brooke had been in alcohol rehab while pregnant. It should be noted that Galanter once gave numerous national interviews denying a published report that O.J. was writing a booking describing how he “could” have committed the murders of his ex-wife and her friend. Weeks later, Simpson admitted he was writing the book and Galanter was embarrassed.

Now RadarOnline.com has uncovered his new client’s history of addiction.

“While in rehab she ended up in the hospital several times,” said the friend who knew Brooke during that time. “She would leave rehab and go buy crack. Sometimes she ended up getting hurt.”

Galanter has said that Mueller wants to stay married to Sheen but RadarOnline.com has reported she has already spoken to a divorce lawyer and wants to improve her prenuptial deal. Sheen’s people are hoping that she will soften her story of what happened the morning Charlie was arrested, because the Two and a Half Men star is facing a prison sentence in Colorado.

And, as RadarOnline.com previously reported, Sheen pushed her to the ground earlier in the marriage, causing her to hit her head and go to a doctor.

Both Sheen and Mueller have told friends they are miserable in the marriage but publicly they are trying to minimize the damage from the domestic violence incident because both have a lot at stake financially.

[From Radar]

So, Brooke was in rehab for crack in “the early 2000s” and maybe went to rehab for alcohol while she was married to Charlie, but not when she was pregnant. And Charlie has been in rehab God knows how many times. And they’re both in full-blown relapses, no matter what. Just how is the release of this information supposed to make Charlie look good? He gets to say, “Don’t blame me, she’s a crackhead!” Well, he married her.

Brooke and Charlie in LA on May 31, 2005, maybe a short time after Brooke’s crack rehab? Also, Brooke in LA on November 27, 2007. Credit: Fame Pictures.

It looks like everyone’s favorite barely-functioning alcoholic, David Hasselhoff, is leaving his gig at NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” The Hoff was basically filling the “Paula Abdul” role on that show as the often incomprehensible, totally wasted celebrity judge. While he didn’t give specifics, David says he has a new show in production and will be releasing details very soon. And no, it’s not a guest spot on “Intervention” or “Celebrity Rehab,” although those are probably not bad ideas.

David Hasselhoff is saying goodbye to America’s Got Talent after four years as a judge with Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne.

In an exclusive statement to PEOPLE, Hasselhoff, 57, says, “I am proud that I was part of making America’s Got Talent the No. 1 rated show for the past four summers. It’s been a rewarding experience and now I’m thrilled to be able to follow my dream to do my own TV show, which will be announced very shortly.”

Hasselhoff adds, “I want to thank my friend, (executive producer) Simon Cowell, and everyone at NBC and Fremantle for the opportunity for four great years.”

Details of his new project have not been released.

A statement from NBC says, “David’s been an integral part of the success of America’s Got Talent and we are sad to see him go. We wish him all the best with his new show.”

NBC sources say that they will be looking for a new judge to fill Hasselhoff’s seat when the show resumes next summer for the fifth season, but no names have been cited as potential replacements

[From People]

I’ve actually lost track of how many times David Hasselhoff either showed up at an event drunk or was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning over the last couple of years. He seems to have a dismissive excuse each time, but he’s not really fooling anyone. What I don’t understand is, how is he getting work? If you or I showed up at our job sloshed out of our minds with the frequency he does, we’d be living in a cardboard box by now. A new TV show is the last thing he needs. The guy is a straight-up mess and needs in-patient rehab. Again.

While the Charlie Sheen PR machine is in overtime putting out unflattering stories about his estranged wife Brooke Mueller, it looks like Brooke isn’t going to sit back and take it. Yesterday, we told you about a story fed to Radar Online suggesting that Brooke is a raging alcoholic who went to rehab while pregnant with her twin sons. Today, Brooke’s lawyer issued a vehement denial of that story. Unfortunately, Brooke is also putting out the message that she wants to get back together with Charlie in spite of the many, obvious signs that these two are completely toxic together. Sigh.

Brooke Mueller is fighting back!

On Tuesday, RadarOnline.com published a report claiming Mueller had gone to rehab for alcohol abuse while pregnant with now 10-month-old twins Bob and Max, but her attorney Yale Galanter told E! News exclusively: “They’re dead wrong.”

Galanter further confirmed over the phone while in Aspen, Colo.: “I know that’s not true. I’m very familiar with the situation, and that’s totally not true. She was not in rehab for alcohol abuse while pregnant. That never occurred. She’s an incredible mother; it’s amazing to see her with her children.”

Galanter is currently working hard to lift the protection order banning Mueller and her husband, Charlie Sheen, from contacting each other, set in place following the couple’s Christmas scuffle.

“We would like to have the restraining order dropped, dismissed, done, because we want these people to get on with their lives, and Charlie’s lawyer would like the same thing,” Galanter explained. “We’re asking the judge to get us an expedited hearing.”

Galanter told E! he is expecting to find out the date of the hearing by Wednesday afternoon.

“My marching orders are to try and get the entire restraining order lifted. If the judge says ‘I don’t want Mr. Sheen to have a gun, and I don’t want him to act violently,’ that’s all fine with me.”

If the restraining order lift is granted in the coming days, Galanter is unaware of where the wayward couple will reunite.

“I don’t know if he would go to Aspen, or if she would go to Los Angeles,” Galanter said. “It hasn’t been discussed yet.”

But despite the ever-growing drama between the two, Galanter assured E! Mueller is A-OK.

“Everybody is doing well. I think the babies are doing great, and she just wants to get back with her husband,” Galanter explained. “And that’s the bottom line. She really does want to get back with her husband.”

Mueller is currently keeping a low profile in Aspen and will remain in town until her rental lease is up at the end of January.

Said Galanter: “She wants to stay close to people she’s comfortable with. The only people she’s been out with are her mom and dad, and my wife and I.”

[From E!Online]

Meanwhile, the National Enquirer says that both Charlie and Brooke have a love of cocaine – and that drug is what fueled the violent Christmas blowout in Colorado. The report says Charlie held a knife to Brooke’s throat and threatened to kill her.

Wild wild Charlie Sheen and his wife went on an all-night Yuletide cocaine binge before Charlie went ballistic resulting in his arrest after the crazed Two and a Half Men star allegedly attacked his terrified spouse with a knife and threatened to kill her.

Sources close to the couple gave The ENQUIRER an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the Christmas Day fracas that left badly shaken Brooke Mueller fearing for her life.

All hell broke loose after 44-year-old Sheen flew to Aspen, Colo., to visit his estranged wife and their twin babies.

He took along his “sober minder” – a watchdog charged with keeping him away from alcohol – but that didn’t stop the visit from quickly spinning out of control.

“The minder was downstairs while Charlie and Brooke snorted cocaine until the morning hours – when they began the fight that resulted in his arrest,” revealed a source.

Brooke, 32, called the cops at 8:35 a.m., claiming her husband held a four-inch blade to her throat and warned her: “You better be in fear.

“If you tell anybody, I’ll kill you.”

So much for Charlie’s “sober minder!” What the hell? If any of that story is true, I do not understand why Brooke would want to sign up for more of the same. Perhaps she is feeling threatened into staying with him because of her unsavory past – or maybe the two of them are co-dependent addicts who have mistaken their tandem use of alcohol and drugs for love. If a judge thinks he can remove the restraining order and expect Charlie Sheen not to have a gun or a knife, he’s as high as these two morons. Either way, it’s a lose-lose situation, especially for these two small, innocent children who didn’t have any choice in the matter.

The last time I wrote about the Brooke Mueller-Charlie Sheen marriage/abuse/enabling/stupidity/clusterf-ck, CB and I ended up getting into a slightly heated discussion about abused women and how best to approach the subject of an abused woman making a horrendous mistake. CB thought I was being insensitive when I described Brooke Mueller’s actions as “dumb,” post-Christmas-Day-abuse. While I could see CB’s point (that I’m a bitch, and I sometimes go overboard), I still think that we as a society shouldn’t pussyfoot around pretending that it’s a smart idea to get back with an abusive partner. The motto for every abused woman should be “Hit me once, and there won’t be a second time because I’m leaving and making your life a living hell.”

CB pointed out that Charlie Sheen could be holding stuff over Brooke’s head, forcing her to reconcile or else. Charlie’s media team began releasing damning and unflattering information about Brooke almost immediately after the incident, so I think the chances are pretty good that Charlie is actually attempting to emotionally, financially and publicly blackmail Brooke into staying with him. But, while I’ll believe that could be one factor in Brooke and Charlie’s reconciliation, I truly think Brooke wants to be married to Charlie, even after the abuse.

Okay, all of that was a precursor to this new report from Radar. Apparently, Radar just got the scoop that Brooke went to rehab… while she was pregnant with twins Max and Bob. So… we’re going with the idea that Brooke is a raging alcoholic:

Charlie Sheen’s wife went to rehab for alcohol abuse while she was pregnant with the couple’s twins, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively.

The blockbuster revelation adds more controversy to the already volatile situation surrounding the Sheen marriage. Charlie spent Christmas in a Colorado jail after being arrested on domestic violence charges.

Both Sheen and Mueller had been drinking that night. Sheen, who has been through rehab twice, has not publicly addressed his relapse.

Now RadarOnline.com has uncovered that Mueller went to alcohol rehab when she was approximately five months pregnant. Sources close to the situation told RadarOnline.com that she was confronted after bottles of booze were found in her car.

When one of the couple’s twins was born with a heart problem, the couple argued bitterly and Charlie told Brooke the medical problem was her fault for boozing while pregnant, RadarOnline.com has learned.

“They both have drinking problems,” said a source close to the situation. “And neither of them should be drinking.”

Mueller has been arrested twice previously, once on an alcohol charge and the other time on a cocaine charge.

Sheen and Mueller both had “sober minders” with them on Christmas, and both consumed alcohol before their physical altercation. Mueller told cops that Sheen held a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her.

She’s hired Yale Galanter and Team Sheen is desperate for her to soften her story about what happened on Christmas to help Charlie avoid a prison sentence. Publicly, lawyers are saying the couple wants to work on the marriage, but privately, as RadarOnline.com was first to report, Mueller has already met with a divorce attorney and wants a better prenuptial deal.

“The marriage has been bad since the beginning,” said one source who knows both Charlie and Brooke. “It was just a matter of time before it exploded publicly.”

[From Radar]

I think Charlie’s media strategy at this point is to just throw everything they can at Brooke and try to make her look as bad as Charlie. That being said, needing to go to rehab while you’re pregnant is pretty rough. That means Brooke was probably drinking through her first trimester, which is the worst trimester to have even one drink. I had to look up Fetal Alcohol Syndrome to see if there was a correlation between alcohol consumption while pregnant and heart defects, but I don’t think there is one. The biggest problems with FAS is for the brain’s development, not the heart. Although… I’m sure her drinking didn’t help matters. Ugh… all of this is so depressing.

Brooke Mueller (when she was pregnant) and Charlie Sheen photographed on October 19, 2008 in LA. Credit: Fame Pictures.

Reality star Michelle Duggar is out of the hospital after having an emergency c-section less than two weeks ago to save her premature 19th child. (Little Josie Duggar, who was just 1 lb., 6 oz. at birth is still in the hospital but is stable and taking breastmilk.) Michelle was spotted at a public meeting for her local Alcoholic Beverage Control board spreading her puritanical wrath. Michelle and her husband, Bob, objected to a proposed beer license for a gas station in their small town of Springdale, Arkansas. According to local reports, Michelle was crying at the board meeting over the fact that some booze might invade her town. The beer permit for the EZ-Mart was denied, but they’ll probably continue to do decent business in gas since residents will have to go out of town to get their buzz on.

Controversy looms over the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board’s decision to deny a beer permit for a local gas station.

The board denied the request Wednesday for the EZ Mart on Sunset Avenue in Springdale.

And for some in the area, it comes as a shock. EZ Mart thought it would get the go-ahead.

Employees at the store said initially, no public officials had objected to their request, until yesterday, when a surprise guest came into the ABC board’s meeting to testify.

“I was told the Duggars were there protesting it, and that Mrs. Duggar was up there crying. And she said that she didn’t want alcohol in her neighborhood or her town, so we got turned down for it,” said assistant manager Tomie Labeff.

Labeff said she and others were more than certain that EZ Mart would be selling beer.

“I was told the mayor wasn’t contesting it, so we were told by our general manager that we were going to get it for sure, but we were told no,” said Labeff.
40/29 News spoke to Michelle Duggar on the phone, and she said alcohol in convenience stores would bring children closer to it.

“Personally, I don’t think alcohol needs to be convenient. I think it needs to be placed in a place where adults can get to it and they will have a choice to get it. But our children should not be bombarded with that. It’s so close to home,” said Duggar.

For some, it’s a let down.

“I’m kind of upset about the situation because I feel that it would be convenient to my house. I could just walk down the street instead of having to drive my car,” said Jeremy Bara.

Although that convenience store was turned down, several others in the area got the green light — including the Murphy Express on Wedington Drive in Fayetteville, where construction at the site isn’t even fully completed.

[From 4029tv.com via Radar Online]

I never understood the concept of a “dry town” or “dry county.” We had a dry town next to the one I grew up in and the people who lived there just had to do a little more planning to get their beer. Studies have shown that dry municipalities can actually be more dangerous as people are getting drunk further away from home and then driving to get back. Drunk drivers on the road are more dangerous to kids than seeing some beer at the gas station. It’s not like they’re selling it to kids under 21. Michelle Duggar isn’t known for her excellent deductive reasoning skills. She is a model of serenity and patience, although that doesn’t seem to include much tolerance of others.

Header is of Michelle Duggar and then also-pregnant daughter-in-law. All photos credit: TLC