After days of speculation, Charlie Sheen officially announced that he is HIV positive during an exclusive interview on TODAY. The 50-year-old actor spoke candidly about his condition to Matt Lauer.
While this HIV diagnosis is bad news, most of the nation will likely find themselves unsurprised that the notoriously amorous bad boy has found himself afflicted with the often sexually transmitted disease.
The television and movie star has a long history of infamous antics, including a brief stint a few years ago when his self-destructive behavior became something of a national pastime. During that era, Sheen’s substance abuse manifested itself in a string of wild behavior such as living with two porn stars (his “goddesses”), giving several off-the-wall interviews (his “winning” period), and several run-ins with the law.
Sheen said he doesn’t know how he contracted the virus, but claims he didn’t engage in high-risk behaviors like needle sharing. He takes four pills a day to manage his HIV, and his doctor made it clear that the actor does not have AIDS.
Today’s announcement seems like a turning point for Sheen, who has kept his disease under wraps since being diagnosed four years ago. He says that secrecy cost him both money and friends, as he claims to have paid out as much as $10 million dollars to keep extortionists quiet about his affliction.
The Charlie Sheen appearing on television today was shockingly humble, saying, “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.’”
What are your thoughts about Charlie Sheen’s announcement?