Skip to main content

Charlie Sheen opens up about sexual encounters with men for the first time: ‘So what?’

Charlie Sheen is done censoring his truth.

The former “Two and a Half Men” star, 60, revealed he’s had sex with men, which began when he started smoking crack.

Charlie Sheen at the premiere of his Netflix biopic.
Charlie Sheen attends the Los Angeles premiere of Netflix’s “aka Charlie Sheen” at the Tudum theatre in Hollywood, California, on September 4, 2025. AFP via Getty Images
Charlie Sheen in a diner booth.
Charlie Sheen sitting in a diner booth during his Netflix documentary, “aka Charlie Sheen,” out Sept. 10. Courtesy of Netflix

“I flipped the menu over,” Sheen reveals in his upcoming Netflix documentary, “aka Charlie Sheen,” out on Sept. 10, about his same-sex bedroom experience.

The actor revealed he’s done hiding his sexual encounters with men.

“I’m not going to run from my past, or let it own me,” he told People in this week’s cover story.

In the two-part documentary, Sheen says it was freeing to discuss the topic for the first time.

“Liberating. It’s f—ing liberating… [to] just talk about stuff. It’s like a train didn’t come through the side of the restaurant. A f—ing piano didn’t fall out of the sky. No one ran into the room and shot me,” he tells the interviewer about publicly addressing having sex with men.

Charlie Sheen in a red convertible.
Photo of Charlie Sheen used in the two-part documentary. Courtesy of Netflix
Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen at the premiere of *Stakeout*.
Charlie Sheen with his brother, Emilio Estevez (left), at the premiere of John Badham’s “Stakeout” in 1987. Getty Images

Sheen revealed that his first encounter happened while he was using heavy narcotics, like crack, and he struggled to come to terms with his actions. These days, he’s owning it.

“That’s what started it,” the “Wall Street” star admitted. “That’s where it was born, or sparked. And in whatever chunks of time that I was off the pipe, trying to navigate that, trying to come to terms with it — ‘Where did that come from?… Why did that happen? — and then just finally being like, ‘So what?’ So what? Some of it was weird. A lot of it was f—ing fun, and life goes on.”

Sheen contracted HIV during a drug-fueled sexual encounter, which he shared on the “Today” show in 2015, only after trying to keep it under wraps.

Portrait of Charlie Sheen.
Charlie Sheen poses in Los Angeles, California, circa 1987. Getty Images
Charlie Sheen wearing an 8th Street Playhouse t-shirt in New York City.
Charlie Sheen wearing an 8th Street Playhouse t-shirt, New York City, October 1984. Getty Images
Martin Sheen, Charlie Sheen, and Emilio Estevez at a premiere.
Martin Sheen (left), his sons Charlie Sheen (centre) and Emilio Estevez attending the premiere of ‘The Arrival’ at the Academy Theater in Beverly Hills, California, May 21st 1996. Getty Images

During the now decade-old broadcast, Sheen claimed he was a victim of exploitation and paid “millions” to those threatening to expose his diagnosis.

He blamed his overnight guests, alleging they would see his medication, take photos and shake him down for payment, or they’d sell the images.

“I do know for a fact that I never passed it on,” Sheen says of his HIV status, per People.

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards at the premiere of Netflix's "aka Charlie Sheen."
Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards attend the Los Angeles Premiere Of Netflix’s “aka Charlie Sheen”at TUDUM Theater on September 04, 2025 in Hollywood, California. Getty Images
Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller at the Emmy Awards.
Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller during 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles, California. FilmMagic

He told the outlet that he was tired of hiding his sexual truth and he was ready to write his own narrative.

Sheen shared he doesn’t see himself as a victim now. “It takes two to tango,” he shared.

However, he does have one regret: capitalizing on his 2011 “tiger blood” meltdown.

Book cover for Charlie Sheen's memoir, "The Book of Sheen."
This cover image released by Gallery Books shows “The Book of Sheen” by Charlie Sheen. AP

“That tour didn’t have to happen,” he revealed. “I’m not a victim, but somebody should have tapped out for me and said, ‘This is a bad idea.’ I’ve combed through all the mental health manuals, and I’ve never found ‘exploitation’ as a good treatment protocol.”

Sheen has spent eight years making amends to those he hurt during his addiction battle. These days, he’s too busy being dad to his 16-year-old twin sons, Bob and Max, to worry about his sex life, which he admits has slowed down since the boys moved in.

Photo of Charlie Sheen, Brooke Mueller, and their children.
Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller photographed with their twin sons, and his daughters with Denise Richards. Page Six
Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards, and their daughters, Lola and Sami, at a restaurant.
Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards and daughters, Lola (left) and Sami Sheen (2nd right). March 2021. Charlie Sheen/Instagram

“My romantic life is as uneventful as it possibly could be, and it’s been that way for a long time,” he shared. “It wasn’t even by choice, but the girls [daughters Sami and Lola] moved in [their mom is Denise Richards], and then when they moved out, the boys [whom he shares with Brooke Mueller] moved in, and there wasn’t enough room in the car. Plus, I spent so much time and energy chasing that for so long. I had to get to a place where I could be alone, but not lonely.”

Still after three divorces — Donna Peele in 1996, Richards in 2006 and Mueller in 2011 — he’s not opposed to finding a special someone again.

Charlie Sheen with his family at a restaurant.
harlie Sheen, Brooke Mueller, sons Max Sheen and son Bob Sheen on September 3, 2011 in Encino, California. WireImage

“But I am open to love again. Probably not marriage, though!” he said.

Sheen comes clean about intimacy in the two-part documentary, airing on Netflix on Sept. 10, and he also addresses it in his memoir, “The Book of Sheen,” released on Sept. 9.