Charlie Sheen hit the “Today” show to confront The National ENQUIRER’s worldwide exclusive on his HIV status!
“I am here to say that I am, in fact, HIV Positive!,” the actor told interviewer Matt Lauer, confronting the scandal that will hit the newsstands in The ENQUIRER on Wednesday!
Sheen also confirmed The ENQUIRER’s reports that he’s spent millions in paying off ex-lovers!
“I’ve paid those people,” said Sheen. “Not that many, but enough that it’s depleting the future…enough to bring it into the millions.”
Sheen added: “For some reason, I trusted them”—talking about the women who’ve taken hush money.
“I thought they could be helpful, but my trust turned to treason.”
Sheen also made an appeal for sympathy as a family man: “What people forget is that’s money they’re taking from my children!”
Sheen still had to admit that he’d paid out so much money that he couldn’t even estimate the number of people he paid off, or a true financial figure: “I don’t want to guess wrong.”
To further cement his status as a victim, Sheen added: “We’re talking about shakedowns, yeah.”
Sheen is also insisting that he never had unprotected sex after learning that he was HIV Positive–except for “two people I did that with [who] were under the care of my doctor.”
When asked if there was any chance Sheen had given the HIV virus to someone else, the actor responded: “Impossible!”
But later on “Today,” even Sheen’s own doctor corrected his patient on that claim.
Matt asked Sheen if the actor knew how he contracted the HIV virus.
“Sitting here today,” answered Sheen, “not entirely, no.”
The actor also revealed that his HIV diagnosis wasn’t responsible for his crazed antics that had him fired from “Two and a Half Men” in 2011.
“I wish I could blame it on that,” said Sheen, adding “This was on the heels of that.”
Sheen also tried to spin his appearance into a positive take on promoting HIV awareness—ignoring that he was only going public in the wake of The ENQUIRER’s upcoming cover story!
“I have a responsibility now to better myself and to help a lot of other people,” said Sheen.
“Hopefully, with what we’re doing today, others will come forward and say, ‘Thanks, Charlie!'”
