Charlie Sheen's Children: What Next?
While Charlie Sheen spirals downhill, fellow addict Brooke Mueller gets kids.
March 3, 2011 — -- Just about everyone knows that Charlie Sheen is a "total bitchin' rock star from Mars." But what does that mean for his children?
While his ex-wife Denise Richards maintains full custody of their two daughters, until recently, Sheen's twin boys had been living with him and his "goddesses" -- girlfriends Bree Olson and Natalie Kenly -- at his Mulholland Drive mansion. Late Tuesday, Sheen's estranged wife, Brooke Mueller, obtained a restraining order against Sheen and forced him to hand over the boys to her.
Sheen claims he's a fine father but refused to elaborate on his parenting skills in an interview with ABC News' "20/20." While Mueller lacks his manic approach to life, she shares his problem of substance abuse (she went to rehab last year). Given that, what's best for the children?
PHOTOS: Charlie Sheen Through the Years
According to attorney and child activist Gloria Allred, who represented Sheen's former girlfriend Brittany Ashland in 1997 after he attacked her, Mueller has the upper hand.
"The drug and alcohol issues with both of them are relevant in terms of what's in the best interests of the children," she said, "but the reason that she sought the order really appears to be the threats of violence."
In documents filed in Los Angeles Superior Court Tuesday, Mueller calls Sheen insane, claims that he threatened to stab her in the eye with a pen knife, and said "I will cut your head off, put it in a box and send it to your mom" if she tried to take back their 23-month-old sons. According to Mueller's restraining order, Sheen must stay at least 100 feet away from her and their sons pending a March 22 court hearing.
A California family law court will determine what custody arrangement is best for toddlers Bob and Max, but Allred noted that with both parents' history of alcohol and drug abuse and Sheen's past displays of violent behavior (he was arrested for allegedly brandishing a knife at Mueller in 2009 and was convicted of battery with serious injury in the Ashland case), there are no easy decisions.
"If there is an ongoing family law proceeding, which there is now, child protective services will be interested in the outcome and might monitor it," Allred said. "The fact that he has had both drug and alcohol issues and a problem with violence is definitely going to come into play."
Though Allred noted the chances are slim, she said Bob and Max could be taken out of the hands of their parents altogether.
"If the court would find that neither of them are fit to have the children, the court might decide that a relative -- like his parents or her parents -- should become the guardians of the children," she said.
Allred added that because Sheen's been so vocal about his recent drug use in interviews this week, a judge may also require that he enroll in a traditional rehab program or take periodic drug tests if he wants unmonitored visitation with his children.
Still, somehow, Sheen doesn't think this mess will affect his kids' opinion of him in the slightest.
"They'll wake up one day and realize how cool dad is," he told "20/20." "And, you know, signs all the checks on the front, not the back. And you know, we need him and we need his wisdom and his bitchin'-ness."