Actress Jaime Pressly praised her former co-stars on the CBS sitcom “Mom” as an “incredible cast of women,” offering fond memories of her time on the production following sharp criticisms directed at former series lead Anna Faris by show creator Chuck Lorre.
Pressly shared her perspective in an interview with E! News published Saturday, speaking at an Alice + Olivia event in support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Her remarks arrived shortly after Lorre released his memoir “Sitcom,” in which he expressed regret over casting Faris and questioned the circumstances surrounding her 2020 departure from the television comedy.
Reflections on the Sitcom Ensemble
Pressly joined the long-running series in its second season as recovering addict Jill Kendall and remained with the production until its conclusion. She described the bond among the female ensemble as a defining positive aspect of the job.
“I was there for seven years, but there [were] eight seasons,” Pressly told E! News. “I came on in the second season, but I had seven wonderful years of working with an incredible crew and an incredible cast of women, who were, all of us, just as beautifully flawed as our characters on the show were.”
Pressly added that she enjoyed showing up to work each day alongside women of similar life stages, noting, “All of us of a certain age, it was nice. It was refreshing.” The sitcom, which followed members of an Alcoholics Anonymous support group, also starred Allison Janney, Mimi Kennedy, Beth Hall and Kristen Johnston.
Lorre’s Memoir Sparks Public Reaction
The conversation resurfaced after Lorre discussed Faris in excerpts from his book published earlier in the week. Lorre wrote that he had originally been hesitant about casting Faris as lead character Christy Plunkett, citing past tensions on the set of “Two and a Half Men” involving actor Charlie Sheen.
Although Lorre wrote that he ultimately resolved that an actor’s private life was not his business, he later claimed in the book that his early doubts had been validated. Lorre wrote that Faris departed the show “for mysterious reasons that were not mysterious to anyone on the show.”
Faris, who co-anchored the sitcom with Janney from its debut in 2013 until leaving after seven seasons in 2020, responded to the excerpts on Instagram on Thursday.
“Yikes. Yes, I read a few things. I really didn’t see that coming. Of course it hurts,” Faris wrote. She added that Lorre had given her a role she cherished and emphasized that she remains thankful for the years she spent on the comedy.
Faris Shares Sobriety Journey
In her social media statement, Faris also disclosed a significant personal milestone, revealing that she has been sober for 18 months.
“I was on a show about recovery, and then I lived it,” Faris shared, expressing hope that speaking openly would offer encouragement to people facing similar challenges. She noted that she is currently healthy, working, and in a positive place in her life.
Following Faris’s exit in 2020 to pursue different professional projects, “Mom” aired for one final season with Janney as the sole lead before wrapping up its run on CBS in 2021. Representatives for Lorre have not commented on Faris’s public response or Pressly’s recent remarks.
