When was Charlie Sheen diagnosed with HIV? Denise Richards says she hoped he gave her a “heads up” to tell their daughters before going public

Denise Richards recently addressed the time when her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, was diagnosed with HIV during an interview on Whine Down with Jana Kramer on April 1, 2025.

The Guilty Hearts star had previously confirmed his diagnosis while speaking to host Matt Lauer on The Today Show on NBC in 2015. He added that he contracted HIV around four years earlier, in 2011, before publicly disclosing the news.

Notably, during her latest conversation, Denise Richards expressed her dissatisfaction that Charlie Sheen did not approach her at first before making the announcement public.

“I wish he gave me a heads up, like, ‘Hey, I’m doing it today.’ You know? Because it was everywhere,” she said

Since people became well-aware of Charlie’s health issue immediately after watching The Today Show, Denise had to disclose the same to her children, Sami and Lola.

Richards recalled that she brought her daughters home from school earlier than usual since she did not want them to hear about her ex-husband’s diagnosis from someone else. In addition, Denise opened up on how she explained Charlie Sheen’s disease to her children, saying:

“I had to have a conversation about that. And it was kind of hard to explain to them what it was. That was the only time … There’s been a few things that I’ve had to have conversations with [them], but for the most part, I really tried to shelter them from a lot of stuff.”

According to Page Six reports, dated March 26, 2025, Denise and Charlie were married for four years and separated in 2006. The latter has also been a popular face in the entertainment industry for a long time, appearing on shows like Two and a Half Men.

---

Charlie Sheen HIV diagnosis: Interview and other details explained

As mentioned, the New York City native confirmed on The Today Show that he was HIV positive around ten years ago. The Saturday Night Live star also disclosed during the conversation that he contracted the disease after experiencing certain incidents. These include headaches, migraines, sweating, and being drenched for a few nights.

In addition, Charlie Sheen addressed the reasons for revealing the diagnosis and said:

“I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths and very harmful stories that I am threatening the health of others, which couldn’t be farther the truth.”

Sheen further stated that he had to undergo a few tests after suffering from certain health issues, which eventually confirmed the diagnosis. Charlie was accompanied by his doctor, Robert Huizenga, who revealed that Sheen’s condition came under control through medication.

Robert mentioned that Charlie had been taking medication consistently without skipping a single day. However, at one point, Sheen discontinued prescribed drugs.

Back in 2017, the Mad Families star stated that he was trying to be an inspiration for those who were struggling with HIV. He recalled his diagnosis by saying:

“The day I was diagnosed, I immediately wanted to eat a bullet. But my mom was there, I wouldn’t do that in front of her, or let her find me to clean up that mess. But then, something else came over me. They gave me a handful of pills and said, ‘You can go home now, and you’re going to live.’”

Charlie Sheen was last seen in the comedy series Bookie, appearing in three episodes. He has several films in his credits, including Scary Movie 4, She Wants Me, and Machete Kills.