Sitcom star Charlie Sheen is preparing to confirm rumours that he is HIV positive, and has been for years.
The American NBC announced this morning that Sheen – who has been dogged by rumours for at least a month that he is the mystery star with HIV – will sit down with Today Show host Matt Lauer on Tuesday morning (US time) to make “a revealing personal announcement.”
The Hollywood website TMZ says its sources say Sheen will confirm his diagnosis.
The move comes after The National Enquirer today revealed it’s next cover story, due out on November 18, that begins with the words “decades of debauchery have finally caught up to Charlie Sheen.”
“In a bombshell world exclusive, The National Enquirer can reveal that the bad boy actor has been hiding an explosive secret from the world: He is HIV positive,” the report says.
“In our next issue — to hit newsstands nationwide on November 18 — The Enquirer blows wide open the scandal we first revealed last month.”
The Enquirer claims Charlie kept his HIV positive status from his sex partners. It also says he does not know how he contracted the disease.
HIV is a manageable illness, with a long life expectancy for those who are able to access the right medication. Several high profile Americans live with the condition, including former basketballer and businessman, Magic Johnson.
Queen frontman Freddy Mercury died of AIDS, as did Hollywood star Rock Hudson, but new medications have radically improved the outlook for carriers of HIV. Despite this, many carriers face discrimination.
HIV, which affects the immune system and can develop into AIDS if left untreated, is spread through the bodily fluid of infected people.
For more information on HIV in New Zealand, visit the New Zealand AIDS Foundation.
