Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards may be public figures, but their kids are entitled to some privacy, a court commissioner ruled Wednesday.
Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Harvey A. Silberman said he would make certain portions of the ex-couple's postdivorce child custody and visitation documents public, but he would reluctantly seal the rest in order to protect the safety and welfare of three-year-old Sam and two-year-old Lola.
"I'm loath to do this," Silberman said. "It's not something I'm happy with. If the circumstances were slightly different, I wouldn't have redacted anything."
The commissioner said he was torn between balancing the free flow of information with his concerns for the children, particularly Sam, whom he noted would soon be starting preschool.
He said his decision was not affected by any privacy claims made by Sheen and Richards.
Among the pieces of information he elected to keep sealed were the locations where Sheen and Richards exchange the children and the names of the girls' nannies.
"I want to keep these pieces of information sacrosanct," Silberman said.
All documents filed in connection with the case over the last several months have been conditionally sealed pending the outcome of Wednesday's hearing.
After giving lawyers for both sides line-by-line instructions as to which portions of the court documents should be blacked out, Silberman ordered them to refile the items within five days.
Silberman also warned attorneys for both stars that they should not expect him to be consistent in future rulings, and that they will have to file new motions if they want future documents sealed.
The former couple's postsplit negotiations over their children have been rocky.
Sheen, who has been allowed supervised visits with his daughters since May 2006, petitioned the court in August to allow him to choose his own nannies rather than have to rely on those provided by his ex-wife.
In September, Richards fired back by seeking an order of protection against her former husband that would put a stop to all overnight visits with the girls, claiming Lola and Sam were often "sad and upset" after staying with their father.
Sheen responded with a statement calling Richards' claims "laughable and inane."
"I am making every possible effort to ensure that the courts focus on my children and their welfare," he said at the time. "My refusal to dignify garbage needs to be understood in the context of the history of this case and Denise's need and desire to make it about issues that do not involve anything other than her emotions."
In November, Sheen spoke up again to deny a Life & Style report that he and Richards had reached a settlement in their custody battle, calling it "derisive fiction."
After walking down the aisle in June 2002, Richards filed for divorce from Sheen in March 2005 when she was six months pregnant with Lola. Following a brief reconciliation, the couple moved forward with the divorce in January 2006 and the split was finalized in November of that year.
Sheen has since gotten engaged to his girlfriend of a year and a half, Brooke Mueller.