The former Two and a Half Men star told Lauer he’s been diagnosed with HIV for four years, and has paid a handful of his closest confidants large sums of money, to the point where he is “depleted”, Sheen told Today.
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Since learning that he was HIV-positive, the 50-year-old said he has forewarned all of his sexual partners about his condition.
He added: “It’s a hard three letters to absorb”. He said he had paid people off “enough to bring it into the millions”.
“We’re petrified about Charlie”, Huizenga said.
Sheen confirmed to Lauer that he has had unprotected sex since learning of his diagnosis, but that his partners were under the care of his doctor and were aware of his HIV.
Sheen said, however, since beginning HIV treatment he has never missed taking his medication. I thought I had a brain tumour – after tests they said this was the situation.
Sheen’s physician, Dr Robert Huizenga, from UCLA, told Lauer the actor now has an undetectable level of the virus in his blood and does not have Aids.
Asked if he plans to stop drinking, Sheen said: “Perhaps the freedom of today might lead to that as well”.
The actor, whose drug use, rehab stints, legal issues, outbursts, on-set antics and many romantic entanglements have shaped his bad-boy image, confirmed the news, which had been swirling since Monday.
“I’m going to ride this wave of support”, he said.
But now he feels he has “the responsibility to better myself and help a lot of other people“. “And hopefully, with what we’re doing today, others will come forward and say, ‘Thanks, Charlie, thanks for kicking the door open'”.
The Anger Management actor has five children, one with Paula Profit, two with actress Denise Richards and two with actress Brooke Mueller.
His first marriage, to Donna Peele, ended after a year. The couple’s two daughters, 11-year-old Sam and 10-year-old Lola, and Richards are all HIV-free.
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Sheen had become an instant film star in his early 20s with two dramas, “Platoon” (1986) and “Wall Street” (1987), and found success with big-screen comedies as well, including “Major League” (1989) and “Hot Shots!”. They divorced in 2006.
