Whatever it is that you think of Charlie Sheen, we have to admit he’s one brave man.
Earlier, in an exclusive interview for the Today show with Matt Lauer, the Two and a Half Men actor revealed that diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) four years ago.
What started as a “series of cluster headaches, insane migraine (sic), and sweating the bed” led to his discovery after numerous battery tests.
“It’s a hard three letters to absorb. It’s a turning point in one’s life,” Charlie said.
He admitted everything quite matter-of-factly, with both calmness and urgency in telling the public about his struggle. “I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of subtruths [that are] very harmful and mercurial stories [that] are about me, threatening the health of others that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
Charlie could be referring to the public and mostly Internet ridicule that has reduced him into a viral meme.
Later, he admitted that he has paid people to keep mum about the issue. A “victim of betrayal and extortion” himself, he revealed that he has shelled out “millions” for others’ silence. “What people forget is that it’s money they’re taking from my children, you know? They think it’s just me, but I’ve got five kids and a granddaughter.”
But the more pressing issue now is—apart from Charlie’s personal reveal—the possibility of infecting others during that period. His doctor, Dr. Robert Hulzenga, an associate professor of clinic medicine at the University of California, mentioned that there’s only a very slight chance for it to happen.
“Individuals who are optimally treated, who have undetectable viral loads, who responsibly use protection, it’s incredibly rare to transmit the virus,” he said.
This was a clear response to the spreading rumors that Charlie might have put his previous sex partners at risk, including his ex-wife Brooke Mueller.
After his stint on Two and a Half Men, in which he earned several Emmy nominations, Charlie had been under the spotlight for his notorious lifestyle.
Watch the full video below.
[Today]
Photo courtesy of TV Line