Charlie Sheen ‘blackmailed by sex worker’ who found HIV drugs

Actor 'has paid millions' to keep people from talking about his condition

Charlie Sheen has spoken publicly about his HIV positive status because he was being blackmailed, the actor has claimed in an interview.

Sheen appeared on NBC's Today show after a string reports about his health this week, where he claimed to have paid $10 million out to people threatening to expose his diagnosis.

The Anger Management star told presenter Matt Lauer he confided in enough people to “be in the situation I am in today”. He admitted to using sex workers but said it would have been impossible for him to transmit the virus to anyone else, claiming he has “always led with condoms and honesty when it came to my condition”.

Sheen said he had been betrayed and extorted by a number of people who demanded cash to stay silent over his diagnosis.

“I’ve paid those people,” he said. “Not that many, but enough to where it has depleted the future […] I have paid enough to bring it into the millions. And what people forget is, that’s money they are taking from my children. They think it’s just me but I’ve got five kids and a grand-daughter.”

He claimed one sex worker had gone into his bathroom, photographed his anti-retroviral drugs and threatened to sell the pictures to the tabloids unless he paid her.

Sheen was diagnosed with HIV roughly four years ago after suffering from cluster headaches, night sweats and migraines. He is now taking four pills a day to manage the virus.

“I was so depressed by the condition I was in, I was doing a lot of drugs, I was drinking way too much and making really bad decisions,” he said.