Sheen 'must stay away from wife'

Richards, who filed for divorce from Sheen in December, claimed in court papers that she could "no longer accept (his) abusive and threatening manner".

Sheen, 40, has denied the charge. A judge agreed to Sheen's request that the couple's phone calls be recorded.

The actor has been granted the right to see his two daughters one day a week.

Sheen's visitation rights must be conducted under supervision. The couple, who wed in 2002, have two children, Sam and Lola.

"I am filing this now because I... must stop him from the cycle of his abuse towards me and our children and his continued threats of violence and statements that he is going to kill me," said Richards in a written declaration filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

In a declaration signed on Thursday, Sheen claimed he and Richards had agreed to pursue counselling to "address parenting issues and to establish a mutually acceptable custody schedule", but that Richards stopped participating after two sessions.

The actor also alleged that he had been seeking overnight visits with the children but that last week, Richards "abruptly refused" to allow him any contact with them.

'Baseless allegations'

"I deeply regret her response to my request for the court to decide what's best for our children has taken the form of baseless allegations that I deny," Sheen said in a statement.

The relationship collapsed in March 2005, shortly before the birth of the couple's second child.

Sheen, best known for his roles in 1980s films Platoon and Wall Street, met Richards while filming in 2000.

The pair have since appeared on screen together in Scary Movie 3 and the ongoing sitcom Two and a Half Men, which features Sheen in the lead role.

The judge scheduled a further hearing for 12 May.

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