“I am in fact HIV-positive,” Charlie Sheen confirmed in a nervous interview with Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today show, after much tabloid speculation.
The sitcom actor – who earned more than $40 million for his performance on Two And A Half Men – was diagnosed approximately four years ago after suffering from symptoms which he thought were related to a brain tumour.
“It is a hard three letters to absorb,” he said.
Sheen doesn’t know how he contracted the virus but said it had nothing to do with needles.
He revealed to Lauer that he has been blackmailed for upward of $10 million to keep his condition private. While he did not name his tormentors, he said that a prostitute who visited him at home had taken photographs of his medication on her iPhone and threatened to sell them to the tabloids unless he paid up.
By coming forward with his diagnosis he hopes to put an end to the payments.
“I think that I release myself from this prison today,” he said.
Sheen maintained that he has always been forthcoming about being HIV positive with his sexual partners, despite many reports prior to his Today interview claiming otherwise. “I always lead with condoms and honesty when it came to my condition,” he said.
When conversation turned to the current status of his condition, Sheen was joined by his doctor, Robert Huizenga who said that since taking anti-viral medication, Sheen has “suppressed the virus to the point that he’s absolutely healthy from that vantage.”
“Individuals who are optimally treated, who have undetected viral loads and who responsibly use protection have incredibly low – it’s incredibly rare to transmit the virus,” his doctor said. “We can’t say that that’s zero, but it’s a very, very low number.”
The actor assured during the interview that he does not have AIDS.
When asked by Lauer if he feels affected by the stigma of his diagnosis, Sheen responded by saying, “Not any more I don’t. 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 may come forward and say ‘Thanks, Charlie. Thanks for kicking the door open.'”
Watch the footage in full here.
HIV is a manageable illness, with a long life expectancy for those who are able to access the right medication.
For more information about HIV/AIDS, visit the New Zealand AIDS Foundation.
