“Two and a Half Men” actor Charlie Sheen apologized for the inappropriate words he used in a three-year-old voicemail sent to his ex-wife Denise Richards. The tension between the two reached new record levels after the voicemail emerged to show Sheen using the N-word against Richards.

Sheen released a statement in which he apologized to all those offended by his “choice of words.” The 42-year-old actor mentioned his close friend Tony Todd, an African-American who was best man at Sheen’s first two weddings.

On that voicemail, Sheen reportedly called Richards “a **** and a n****r,” “a s**t f***ing liar” and complained about her “chicken s**t f***ing behaviour”. The voicemail was released yesterday (18.06.08).

"And for the record, my children did not show up today for a custodial visit without explanation. So three and one-half years later, the reasons that caused the anger and frustration displayed on that voicemail continue to be manifested on a daily basis," Sheen added.

Since their divorce in 2005, the two former spouses have been arguing over the custody of their two children, Lola and Sam. The quarrel became particularly sour this year when Sheen filed suit against Richards accusing her of exploiting their two daughters. Sheen tried to stop their children - 3-year-old Sam and 2-year-old Lola - from appearing on Richards’ reality show.

Richards, 36 and Sheen, 42, met on the set of “Good Advice” in 2001, fell in love and married in 2002. They welcomed their first child, daughter Sam, in 2004, and their second daughter Lola, in 2005. Within a year of the birth of their second child, Richards was filing for divorce.

They were officially divorced in late November 2006 and have been embroiled in a nasty and tabloid-fuelling custody battle ever since, with each accusing the other of bad parenting.

In September 2007, Richards asked the court to not allow Sheen to keep the children overnight, making the controversial statement that the actor indulges in online pornography. Sheen’s response was that the claims were “laughable and inane.”