Charlie Sheen's wife, kids move away

Charlie Sheen's wife has taken her twin sons, Max and Bob, and moved away from their dad, who's continuing his fight to remain out of jail.

Brooke Mueller, 32, and "Two and a Half Men" star Sheen, 44, were already living apart following a Christmas Day 911 call from the couple's vacation home in Aspen, Colo., where Mueller told police Sheen had held a knife to her throat and threatened her. Now Mueller is trying out two California rental homes - one in Laguna Beach, the other in Santa Barbara - according to a source in People magazine.

"Brooke is close to having a nervous breakdown over all that is going on with Charlie," the source said.

Mueller's publicist, Elliot Mintz, told the syndicated TV series "Extra" Wednesday that in addition to her move, Mueller is "receiving professional help in the area of stress management. She recognized that it would be in her best interest to deal with personal issues involving stress that have the potential of challenging her sobriety." Her treatment, he said, "is not rehab."

Sheen, meantime, is negotiating to stay out of jail on his charges of second-degree assault, menacing and criminal mischief.

A source told RadarOnline, "Charlie realizes that any deal with jail time now means he can't smoke," an apparent deal-breaker. "He says he can't go without it. And Brooke is still not clean and needs rehab," the source claims, in opposition to publicist Mintz's assertion. "That's got Charlie worried about the kids so now he's willing to take probation."