Carlos Irwin Estévez (born September 3, 1965), known professionally as Charlie Sheen, is an American actor. He is known as a leading man in film and television. Over his fifty-year career he has received numerous accolades including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 1994 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Sheen was terminated from his Two and a Half Men contract by CBS and Warner Bros. following a public series of substance-abuse issues, marital problems and comments made towards the series' creator, Chuck Lorre.[3][4] In 2015, Sheen publicly revealed that he is HIV positive which led to an increase in HIV prevention and testing which was dubbed the "Charlie Sheen effect".[5][6]
At Santa Monica High School, he showed an early interest in acting, making amateur Super 8 films with his brother Emilio and school friends Rob Lowe and Sean Penn under his birth name. A few weeks before his scheduled graduation from Santa Monica High School, Sheen was expelled from school for poor grades and attendance. He then chose to become an actor, and adopted the stage name Charlie Sheen. His father had adopted the surname Sheen in honor of the Catholicarchbishop and theologianFulton J. Sheen, and Charlie was an English form of his given name Carlos.[13][14]
In 1987, he starred with his father in Wall Street in which he played the role of Bud Fox, a young and ambitious stockbroker. Both Wall Street and Platoon were directed by Oliver Stone. In 1988, Stone asked Sheen to star in his new film Born on the Fourth of July (1989) but later cast Tom Cruise instead. Sheen was never notified by Stone, and he only found out when he heard the news from his brother Emilio. Sheen did not take a lead role in Stone's subsequent films,[15] although he did have a cameo role in Money Never Sleeps.
Sheen appeared in several comedy roles, including the Major League films, Money Talks, and the spoof Hot Shots! films. Sheen has also done voices for animation, appearing as Charlie in All Dogs Go To Heaven 2 (1996), replacing Burt Reynolds. In 1999, Sheen appeared in a sitcom pilot for ABC, called Sugar Hill, which was not picked up.[18] In 1999, Sheen played himself in Being John Malkovich.
In 2003, Sheen was cast as Charlie Harper in the CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men, which followed the popular Monday night time slot of Everybody Loves Raymond. Sheen's role on Two and a Half Men was loosely based on Sheen's bad-boy image.[21] The role garnered him an ALMA Award and he gained three Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe award nominations.[19] During his eighth and final season on the show, Sheen earned $1.8 million per episode.[2]
Warner Bros. dismissal and publicity
Production of Two and a Half Men went on hiatus in January 2011 while Sheen underwent a substance rehabilitation program in his home, his third attempt at rehab in 12 months.[22][23][24] The following month, CBS canceled the season's four remaining episodes after Sheen publicly made offensive comments about the series' creator, Chuck Lorre,[3] and Warner Bros. Television banned Sheen from entering its production lot.[25] Sheen, already the highest-paid actor on television,[2] responded by publicly demanding a 50-percent raise,[26] claiming that in comparison to the amount that the series was making, he was "underpaid".[26]
CBS and Warner Bros. Television terminated Sheen's contract on March 7, 2011.[27] He was replaced by Ashton Kutcher.[28][29] In the aftermath of his dismissal, Sheen continued to feud with Chuck Lorre,[30] and filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against Lorre and Warner Bros. Television, which was settled the following September 26.[31] That same month, Sheen, while presenting an award at the Primetime Emmy Awards, addressed "everybody here from Two and a Half Men" and stated, "From the bottom of my heart, I wish you nothing but the best for this upcoming season. We spent eight wonderful years together and I know you will continue to make great television."[32] In 2012, Sheen returned to television in Anger Management, the spin-off of the film of the same name.[33] The series ended after a 100-episode run in the second season.[34]
In the wake of the dismissal, Sheen had a highly publicized meltdown which was broadcast on television and the Internet. He made claims in television interviews suggesting that he was a "warlock" with "tiger blood" and "AdonisDNA", and that he was "winning".[35] He also posted videos to YouTube showing himself smoking cigarettes through his nose, and cursing out his former employers.[36] He told one TV interviewer, "I'm tired of pretending I'm not special. I'm tired of pretending I'm not a total bitchin' rock star from Mars."[37] After being accused of antisemitism in 2011, Sheen claimed that his mother was Jewish,[38] although Jewish Standard reporter Nate Bloom wrote that he found no evidence to support this and described Sheen's claim as "exceedingly unlikely".[39] Sheen said later that year that his father was Catholic and his mother was Southern Baptist.[11]
On September 19, 2011, Sheen was roasted on Comedy Central. It was watched by 6.4 million people, making it the highest-rated roast on Comedy Central to date.[40] Also that year, he played a role in the hip hop music video "Steak & Mash Potatoes" by Chain Swangaz featuring Brother Marquis. The video features both rappers as fast-food employees who create havoc while their boss (Sheen) is gone.[41]
In October 2018, Sheen flew to Australia for his "An Evening with Charlie Sheen" tour.[45] During this time, he filmed an advert for car servicing company Ultra Tune which was the next installment in their controversial "Unexpected Situations" series alongside Parnia Porsche, Laura Lydall, Tyana Hansen and Imogen Lovell.[46][47]
Other ventures
Sheen's "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option" tour on the marquee of Radio City Music Hall in New York City
In 2006, Sheen launched a clothing line for children, called Sheen Kidz.[48][49] In 2011, Sheen set a Guinness World Record as the "Fastest Time to Reach 1 Million Followers" on Twitter, adding an average of 129,000 new followers daily[50]) and setting a Guinness record for "Highest Paid TV Actor Per Episode – Current" at $1.25 million while he was a part of the cast of Two and a Half Men sitcom.[51] On March 3, 2011, Sheen signed with Ad.ly marketing agency specializing in Twitter and Facebook promotions.[52][53]
On March 10, 2011, Sheen announced a nationwide tour, "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option", which began in Detroit on April 2.[54] The tour sold out in 18 minutes, a Ticketmaster record.[55] However, on April 1, 2011, the Detroit Free Press featured an article that stated as of March 30 that there were over 1000 tickets available from a third-party reseller, some at 15% less than the cheapest seats sold at the Fox Theater.[56]The Huffington Post reported that it was expected Sheen would earn $1 million in 2011 from Twitter endorsements and $7 million from the North American tour.[57] Many of those attending the performance of April 2 in Detroit found it disappointing;[58] the subsequent performance in Chicago, which featured some adjustments, received a more positive reception.[59]
Sheen was announced as the face of and partner in "NicoSheen", a line of disposable E-cigarettes and related products.[60]
On August 13, 2011, Sheen hosted at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos, an event created by the Insane Clown Posse. He received a mixed reaction from the audience,[61] but has expressed appreciation for the culture by describing himself as a Juggalo[62] and wearing a baseball cap featuring the Psychopathic Records logo in public and during production meetings for Anger Management.[63]
Personal life
Family and relationships
Sheen signing a portrait in 2015
Sheen has been married three times. He has five children and one grandchild.
His oldest daughter is from a relationship with his former high school girlfriend, Paula Profit,[64] whose name has also been given as Paula Speert.[65] Through their daughter, Cassandra Estevez, Sheen has one granddaughter, named Luna.[66]
On September 3, 1995, Sheen married his first wife, Donna Peele.[74] That same year, Sheen was named as one of the clients of an escort agency operated by Heidi Fleiss.[75] Sheen and Peele divorced in 1996.[9]
Sheen met actress Denise Richards on the set of Good Advice in 2000.[76] They began dating in October 2001, when Richards guest-starred on Sheen's TV show Spin City.[76] They became engaged on December 26, 2001, and married on June 15, 2002, at the estate of Spin City creator Gary David Goldberg.[76] They have two daughters together (born in 2004 and 2005).[77][78] In March 2005, Richards filed for divorce, accusing Sheen of alcohol and drug abuse with threats of violence,[4] as well as accusations of Sheen looking at gay pornography featuring "boys who looked underage" and being "attracted" to underage girls.[79][80] Sheen would later deny these claims, and stated that the FBI was "aware" of the allegations and had searched his computers.[81] The divorce was finalized in November 2006 and preceded a custody dispute over their two daughters.[82][83]
On May 30, 2008, Sheen married his third wife, Brooke Mueller. Mueller gave birth to their twin sons, Bob and Max, on March 14, 2009.[84][85][86][87][88] In November 2010, Sheen filed for divorce. On March 1, 2011, police removed the couple's sons from Sheen's home. Sheen told NBC's Today, "I stayed very calm and focused."[89] According to People, social services took the children after Mueller obtained a restraining order against Sheen. The document said, "I am very concerned that [Sheen] is currently insane."[90] Asked if he would fight for the children, Sheen texted People, "Born ready. Winning."[90] Sheen and Mueller's divorce became final on May 2, 2011.[1][91][92]
On March 1, 2011, Sheen was concurrently living with 24-year-old pornographic actress Bree Olson and 24-year-old[93] model and graphic designer Natalie Kenly, whom he collectively nicknamed his "goddesses".[94][95][96][97] Olson left Sheen in April 2011, and Kenly left in June 2011.[98][99] In a January 2013 interview on Piers Morgan Tonight, Sheen stated that he was in a relationship with adult film actress and 2011 Penthouse magazine Pet of the Month Georgia Jones.[100]
Then, in February 2014, Sheen became engaged to former adult film star Brett Rossi,[101] who began going by her real name, Scottine.[102][103] With a wedding planned for November 2014, the engagement was broken off in October with an announcement that the two had "mutually decided" to separate. Sheen stated, "I've decided that my children deserve my focus more than a relationship does right now. I still have a tremendous fondness for Scotty and I wish her all the best."[104] A month later it was reported that Rossi was hospitalized for an apparent drug overdose.[105] In 2015, Rossi sued Sheen after his announcement of being HIV-positive and for various other allegations such as "assault and battery, emotional distress, false imprisonment and negligence".[106][107] The suit was referred to arbitration.[108] Another girlfriend of Sheen sued him in 2017, claiming that in 2015 he had concealed his HIV status from her until after they had unprotected sex.[108] The lawsuit was settled in 2022 with Sheen paying $120,000 to the woman.[109]
In June 2022, Sheen's second daughter, Sami, created an OnlyFans account. Sheen initially disapproved of the action.[110] He later changed his mind, citing points made by her mother.[111]
On May 20, 1998, Sheen had a stroke after overdosing while using cocaine and was hospitalized. Sheen was found in his seaside home by a friend, after which paramedics rushed him to Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California, where he was described as being in "serious condition" after his stomach was pumped.[117] Days later, Sheen checked into a rehab clinic, then told doctors that he did not intend to stay. Sheen left, but sheriff's deputies forced Sheen back to the clinic.[118] On August 11, 1998, Sheen, already on probation in California for a previous drug offense, had his probation extended by one year and entered a rehab clinic.[119][120] In a 2004 interview, Sheen disclosed that his previous overdose was caused by injecting cocaine.[121]
On December 25, 2009, Sheen was arrested for assaulting his wife at the time, Brooke Mueller, in Aspen, Colorado. He was released the same day from jail after posting an $8,500 bond.[122][123] Sheen was charged with felony menacing, as well as third-degree assault and criminal mischief.[124] On August 2, 2010, Sheen, represented by Yale Galanter,[125] pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault as part of a plea bargain that included dismissal of the other charges against him. Sheen was sentenced to 30 days in a drug rehab center, 30 days of probation, and 36 hours of anger management.[126]
On October 26, 2010, the police removed Sheen from his suite at the Plaza Hotel after he reportedly caused $7,000 in damage.[127] According to the NYPD, Sheen admitted to drinking and using cocaine the night of the incident.[127]
On November 17, 2015, Sheen publicly revealed that he was HIV-positive, having been diagnosed roughly four years earlier.[6] In an interview, he referred to the acronym HIV as "three hard letters to absorb".[128] He manages his condition with a triple cocktail of antiretroviral drugs, and said that it was impossible that he could have knowingly infected any of his partners.[129] Sheen noted that since 2011, he had paid extortionists approximately $10 million to keep his HIV status secret.[129] Sheen stated that he was upfront about his HIV-positive condition with all of his past partners.[129]
In an episode of The Dr. Oz Show taped in late 2015 and aired January 12, 2016, Sheen stated that he had "been off [his] meds for about a week now," receiving alternative treatment in Mexico from Sam Chachoua, who claims to have an effective vaccine for HIV; according to his manager, however, after the episode was taped he resumed taking his medications.[130]
In April 2016, Sheen had his monthly child support payments to his two ex-wives, Richards and Mueller, reduced from $55,000 to $10,000.[131] The same month, it was announced that Sheen was under investigation by the LAPD stalking unit for threatening to kill his former fiancée Scottine Ross.[132]
Corey Feldman allegation
In 2017, Sheen sued the National Enquirer over a story alleging that, in 1986, he raped his 13-year-old co-star Corey Haim on the set of Lucas. The case was settled in 2018. Haim's mother, Judy Haim, identified a different actor as her son's rapist on The Dr. Oz Show, and told Entertainment Tonight that Sheen never raped her son, calling the claims "made up".[133][134]
In March 2020, actor Corey Feldman repeated the claim that Sheen raped Haim in his documentary (My) Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys, corroborated by Feldman's ex-wife Susie Feldman and his Lost Boys co-star Jamison Newlander.[135] Sheen, through his publicist, denied the allegations, calling them "sick, twisted and outlandish".[134]
Activism
The Charlie Sheen effect
Sheen's disclosure of his HIV-positive diagnosis corresponded with the greatest number of HIV-related Google searches ever recorded in the United States. During the three weeks following his disclosure, there were about 2.75 million more searches than expected that included the term HIV, and 1.25 million searches were directly relevant to public-health outcomes because they included search terms for condoms, HIV symptoms, or HIV testing (e.g., "get HIV tested").[136]
A later study found Sheen's disclosure also corresponded with a 95% increase in over-the-counter at-home HIV testing kits.[137]
The study's authors dubbed it "The Charlie Sheen Effect" with commenters noting "Charlie Sheen did more for HIV education than most UN events do."[138] Sheen spoke out for HIV prevention, citing the studies as motivation, later adding he was "humbled" to "be of service."[citation needed]
Charity work
Sheen was the 2004 spokesperson for the Lee National Denim Day breast cancer fundraiser that raised millions of dollars for research and education regarding the disease. Sheen stated that a friend of his died from breast cancer, and he wanted to try to help find a cure for the disease.[139]
A major donor and supporter of Aid For AIDS since 2006, Sheen was honored with an AFA Angel Award, one of only a few ever given, at the nonprofit's 25th Silver Anniversary Reception in 2009.[140] In addition to his financial support, he has volunteered to act as a celebrity judge for several years for their annual fundraiser, Best In Drag Show,[141] which raises around a quarter of a million dollars[140] each year in Los Angeles for AIDS assistance.[142][143]
He has brought other celebrities to support the event, including his father, actor Martin Sheen.[144] Sheen's interest in AIDS was first reported in 1987 with his support of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager who became a national spokesperson for AIDS awareness after being infected with AIDS through a blood transfusion for his hemophilia.[145][146]
Sheen donated one dollar from each ticket sold from his "My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat is Not An Option Show" 2011 tour to the Red CrossJapanese earthquake Relief Fund.[55]
In 2011, Sheen took on a Twitter challenge by a grieving mother to help critically ill babies born with congenital diaphragmatic hernia by supporting the Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research, Awareness and Support (CDHRAS).[148]
Sheen is a lifelong fan of the Cincinnati Reds. In August 2012, he announced that he would donate $50,000 to the team's community fund, which supports various charities. The donation came after the team raised another $50,000 in an attempt to get sportscaster Marty Brennaman to shave his head on the field after a Reds victory. After Brennaman shaved his head, Sheen offered to match the previous donation total.[149]
Opinions
Political views
In a 2015 interview, Sheen described himself as a "constitutional Republican". Sheen discussed his desire of running for U.S. President in 2016.[150] Despite having been an active critic of the Bush administration during the office years, Sheen spoke fondly of George W. Bush in 2014 and defended his service as president by stating: "He did the best he could with what he was confronted with, and it is beyond anything I can comprehend".[151]
Sheen has been publicly scathing against former president Donald Trump. In 2016, he labelled Trump a "charlatan" and wished death upon him.[152][153]
September 11 attacks
Sheen is an outspoken advocate of the 9/11 truth movement.[154] On September 8, 2009, he appealed to PresidentBarack Obama to set up a new investigation into the attacks. Presenting his views as a transcript of a fictional encounter with Obama, he was characterized by the press as believing the 9/11 Commission was a whitewash and that the former George W. administration may have been responsible for the attacks.[155]
Anti-vaccination
Sheen is staunchly opposed to vaccinations. After separating from Denise Richards, he sent a legal notice to his daughters' physician stating his lack of consent to vaccinate them.[156] The dispute over vaccines seems to have played an important role in the failure of the marriage. Richards said in an interview in 2008, "When I vaccinated Sam, he accused me of poisoning her. And I knew when he said that that the marriage wasn't going to work."[157]
^"Declaration of Denise Richards"Archived September 22, 2020, at the Wayback Machine Radar Online. April 20, 2006. Pg. 9, Line 23. "Prior to our trip, I learned that the Respondent was accessing gay pornography sites which I found even more disturbing because I felt that the boys looked underage."
^Powers, Lindsay (March 2, 2011). "A Timeline of Charlie Sheen's Strange Legal Woes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 30, 2020. She cites "his attraction to underage women and his sexual explicitness on the Internet, including revealing his private parts." He counters: "Clearly the mother of my children has no interest in responsible co-parenting when it comes to my relationship with our girls.
^Lee, Ken (September 24, 2007). "Charlie Sheen Fires Back at Denise Richards". People. Retrieved August 30, 2020. The FBI was aware of these issues," Sheen states. "I provided them with every computer I owned. The computers were returned two weeks later. Haven't heard from them since. Period. The end.
^Higginbotham, Adam (January 19, 2004). "How Charlie Sheen saw the light". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. Retrieved March 9, 2011.
^"Bond Posted". USA Today. December 25, 2009. Retrieved December 25, 2009.
