The 50-year-old said he was diagnosed about four years ago, but didn’t know how he contracted the virus. He has since battled to keep it a secret.
“I am in fact HIV-positive … It’s a hard three letters to absorb. It’s a turning point in one’s life,” Charlie told Matt Lauer on Today USA.
“It started with what I thought was a series of crushing headaches. I thought I had a brain tumour. I thought it was over.”
Since contracting the disease, the former Two and a Half Men actor explained he’s been blackmailed for “millions”, and has paid over $10USD million (approx. $AUD14million) to keep the diagnosis quiet.
“I’ve paid those people. Not that many but enough where it has depleted the future, enough to bring it into the millions. That’s money they’re taking from my children,” he said.
Adding, “I trusted them and they were deep in my inner circle, and I thought they could be helpful. My trust turned to their treason.”
Speaking of his children, Charlie revealed he told his eldest daughter, Cassandra Estevez, of his condition just “the other night,” after the rumours started. The 30-year-old is Charlie’s daughter with his high school sweetheart, Paula Speert.
Charlie, pictured with Brooke and his daughters, who has revealed that she and the kids are HIV-free.
“It hit her hard but she recovered. She’s tough like her dad. She said — wow. I said sweetie, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but it didn’t seem like you could do anything for me and I didn’t want to burden you with all the stress,” he recalled.
He also said that he told his ex-wives, Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller about the diagnosis when he found out. Brooke has since released a statement revealing that she and her kids are HIV-free. While pals close to Denise also attest she and her daughters with Charlie are in the clear.
Coming out to the public is the father-of-five’s way of releasing himself from a “prison”, admitting he will no longer pay for people’s silence.
“I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that are about me, that threaten the health of so many others that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Charlie said.
When asked if he’d had lawsuits, he answered: “Not for any contamination, not for any transference but just for threats of revealing my condition.”
The TV actor insisted it was “impossible” that he knowingly transmitted the virus to others, although he did admit to having unprotected sex with two women, before clarifying they were aware of his diagnosis and had been under the care of his doctor.
Charlie Sheen divorced Denise Richards in 2006 after four years of marriage and two children. He believes he contacted HIV around 2011.
Prior to his on-air interview, the 50-year-old penned a letter to NBC, which was read out loud by Matt during the segment.
The letter detailed information regarding Charlie hiring sex workers during a time when he was “depressed and drinking too much.”
“I hired the companionship of unsavoury and insipid types,” Matt read out loud.
“My truth soon became their treason and a deluge of extortion and blackmail took centre stage.”
Accompanying Charlie was his physician, Dr. Robert Huizenga who explained that amount of the virus in Charlie’s blood was “undetectable,” and he also went on to say that he had an “incredibly low” risk of transferring the virus with the right treatment and precautions.
“Charlie does not have AIDS,” Dr Robert clarified, before explaining his main fears for the actor wasn’t the sexually transmitted disease, but the potential for Charlie to relapse back into substance abuse.
“We’re petrified about Charlie,” the doctor said.
“We’re so, so anxious that if he was overly depressed, if he was abusing substance, he would forget these pills and that’s been an incredible worry,” he said. However, he added Charlie has been vigilant about his regimen.
Adding, “Magically, somehow in the midst of incredible personal mayhem, he’s managed to continue to take these medications.”
Matt Lauer and Charlie Sheen embrace after the grueling interview.
Since coming out with his diagnosis, the actor has been overwhelmed by the support he has received. Showing off his infamous quip, he confidentially told Matt, “If there was one guy on this planet to contract this that’s going to deliver a cure, it’s me. It’s me. Seriously!”
Charlie hopes that his revelation about his diagnosis will help dispel the he stigma of HIV.
“I have a responsibility now to better myself and to help a lot of other people and hopefully with what we’re doing today others will come forward and say, ‘Thanks, Charlie’,” he said.
While he doesn’t think he will be becoming HIV’s poster boy, Charlie hopes he can do whatever he can to help others.
“I will not shun away from responsibilities and opportunities that drive me to helping others.”
HIV, which affects the immune system and can develop into AIDS if left untreated, is spread through the bodily fluid of infected people.
In Australia, more than 27,000 people are infected with HIV, and it’s estimated that 12% are unaware of their positive status.
For more information on HIV in Australia, visit the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisation.
