Charlie Sheen Reveals That He's HIV-Positive

WTXF - Actor Charlie Sheen revealed that he is HIV-positive in an interview on the TODAY Show Tuesday.

TMZ reported Monday that the actor would make the announcement.

"I am here to admit that I am in fact HIV positive," the actor said during the interview.

According to Sheen, he made the announcement to halt attempts at a smear campaign and also attempts at extortion.

"I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that are about me, that threaten the health of so many others that couldn't be further from the truth," he continued.

During the interview, Sheen said that he was diagnosed about four years ago, but is not sure how he contracted the virus.

"It started with what I thought was a series of crushing headaches," he said during the interview. "I thought I had a brain tumor. I thought it was over."

"It's a hard three letters to absorb. It's a turning point in one's life," he said.

In addition, Sheen insisted that it was "impossible" that he consciously transmitted the virus to others.

He admitted to having unprotected sex with two people since he was diagnosed, but said that both were informed beforehand and have been under the care of his doctor.

Sheen also spoke about how people whom he trusted with his diagnosis have extorted him for "millions" in order to keep the illness a secret.

"What people forget is that its money taken from my children," he said.

"I trusted them and they were deep in my inner circle, and I thought they could be helpful," he said. However, "my trust turned to their treason."

He said that his revelation would help put a stop to that.

"That's my goal. That's not my only goal. I think I release myself from this prison today," he said.

He also said that he hopes his admission will help get rid of the stigma of HIV.

"I have a responsibility now to better myself and to help a lot of other people and hopefully with what we're doing today others will come forward and say, thanks Charlie," he said.

The interview follows a Monday report in the National Enquirer that the former Two and a Half Men actor has been positive for several years, even while continuing to live the sort of promiscuous lifestyle with which he's long been associated.

A second TMZ report Monday stated that Sheen claims that after two years of using medication, the virus is "undetectable" in his system.

The Today Show announced in a brief press release Monday that Sheen will make a "revealing personal announcement" in the Tuesday interview.