Charlie Sheen says he is HIV-positive

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On NBC's Today show on Tuesday morning, actor Charlie Sheen said he is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. "I am here to admit that I am in fact HIV-positive," he told Matt Lauer. Sheen said he was diagnosed with HIV four years ago, adding: "It's a hard three letters to absorb. It's a turning point in one's life." He added that he went public in part because people were extorting him with the threat of disclosing his HIV diagnosis. Most famous recently for getting kicked off his hit TV show Two and a Half Men in 2011, Sheen rose to prominence as part of Hollywood's Brat Pack in the1980s. He has reinforced his bad-boy reputation over the years by admitting to spending $50,000 on prostitutes and well-publicized issues with drug abuse. Reuters has more in the video below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.