On Sept. 5, 2025, actor Charlie Sheen, 60, publicly described past sexual encounters with men in his forthcoming memoir The Book of Sheen and in Netflix’s documentary aka Charlie Sheen, saying the disclosure felt “liberating” and that extortion and years of substance use shaped his choices.
Key Takeaways
- Sheen disclosed past sexual encounters with men in a memoir and Netflix documentary released in September 2025.
- He says those encounters began after he started smoking crack and were shaped by substance use.
- Sheen reports he faced extortion attempts related to his private life and HIV status.
- He previously announced an HIV diagnosis publicly in 2015 and says he never transmitted the virus to partners.
- Sheen says he has been sober since 2017 and is attempting to make amends for past behavior.
- The memoir, The Book of Sheen, and the documentary are intended as his account of events and recovery.
Verified Facts
Charlie Sheen, the actor known for Two and a Half Men and Anger Management, spoke to press outlets and appears in a Netflix documentary that premiered in early September 2025. He confirmed the timing of his memoir, The Book of Sheen (released Sept. 9, 2025), and the Netflix documentary, aka Charlie Sheen (streaming from Sept. 10, 2025).
Sheen told reporters and interviewers that he began having sexual encounters with men during periods when he was using crack cocaine. He framed those experiences as part of a broader period of substance-fueled behavior that he is now recounting in print and on film.
He also reiterated that he disclosed his HIV-positive diagnosis publicly in 2015. Sheen has said in interviews that he was extorted by people who photographed his medication and threatened to expose him unless he paid. He maintains he did not transmit HIV to any former partners.
Context & Impact
Sheen’s revelations arrive amid renewed public attention as his memoir and documentary reach audiences. Public figures disclosing same-sex encounters or non-heteronormative histories can shift conversations about sexuality, privacy, and stigma—especially when combined with admissions about substance use and health conditions.
His claim of extortion underscores the privacy risks facing people with public profiles. If substantiated by independent reporting or law enforcement records, such claims could prompt renewed scrutiny of how private medical information is exploited.
For fans and industry observers, the disclosures may alter perceptions of Sheen’s personal narrative and career arc, while also raising questions about accountability, consent, and the intersections of addiction and sexual behavior.
“Liberating. It’s f—ing liberating… [to] just talk about stuff,”
Charlie Sheen, in aka Charlie Sheen (documentary)
Unconfirmed
- No independently verified public record identifying individuals who allegedly extorted Sheen has been cited in the interviews.
- Specific dates, locations, or partners connected to the encounters Sheen describes are not detailed in the accounts cited here.
Bottom Line
Sheen’s decision to describe past sexual encounters with men and to frame those experiences within his history of substance use and extortion claims is positioned as a personal reckoning timed to his memoir and documentary releases. The disclosures are likely to prompt discussion about privacy, recovery, and how public figures manage sensitive health and sexual-history information.