Charlie Sheen HIV reports: Heather Locklear sends message of support

The actor spoke about his diagnosis for the first time on NBC on Today

Sheen and Locklear in 2013 (Getty Images )

A close friend of Charlie Sheen sent a message of support to the actor before he disclosed his HIV diagnosis on Tuesday morning.

The Anger Management star spoke aboout being HIV positive during an interview with Matt Lauer after speculation Sheen was the unidentified “womanising” male actor diagnosed with HIV in an article on the gossip site Radar Online earlier in November.

Radar claimed “decades of debauchery have finally caught up with one of Hollywood's top megastars”, describing the subject as “bad-boy Tinseltown star”, sparking a flurry of tabloid reports.

The US actress Heather Lockleaer responded to suggestions Sheen could be the actor on Monday with a picture of the pair together on Instagram. “My heart hurts,” she wrote. “Prayers for Charlie and his family.”

 

A photo posted by Heather Locklear (@heatherlocklear) on Nov 16, 2015 at 4:21pm PST

NBC’s announcement came after the US tabloid National Enquirer published a cover story for 18 November claiming Sheen is HIV positive and had been paying former sexual partners thousands of dollars not to reveal his reported diagnosis.

Sheen’s treatment in the media and the speculation over whether he has HIV has been compared to reporting of the condition in the 1980s when the HIV/Aids epidemic began. A number of outlets including TMZ and the Daily Mail published reports commenting on his reported sexual history and suggesting he had engaged in risky sexual behaviour, despite Sheen still not confirming or denying that he has HIV.

Bree Olsen, an ex-adult film star and a former partner of Sheen, resorted to asking the media to leave her alone as rumours mounted.

“There are speculations circling that one of my ex boyfriends from years ago may have contracted the HIV virus,” she wrote on her website on Friday. “They are rumours and I know nothing more than anyone else.

“I, myself - have been to the gynaecologist once a year since we split up and have always been tested across the board for everything and have come back clean across the board every time. For all the 'news' sources out there, leave me alone. Call me Jon Snow. I know nothing.”

On Monday, Olsen said she had been tested for HIV and recorded herself getting the results.

Sheen was diganosed with HIV four years ago.