By Jennifer Brett and Shelia Poole
Two of Charlie Sheen's ex-girlfriends are speaking out about his announcement he is HIV+ but have very different opinions.
"He's a true gentleman. Very honest," Amanda Bruce said during an interview on the Dr. Oz Show.
"It's the dumbest thing I've ever done, dating him, Bree Olson said during an interview with Howard Stern.
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Sheen announced on Tuesday's Today Show that he is HIV positive and has known for four years. He said that after telling certain friends who turned around and blackmailed him, he paid $10 million to keep HIV status quiet and that as a result his finances are "not great"
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Credit: Jennifer Brett
Credit: Jennifer Brett
Sheen said he’s hoping for support and forgiveness, and may use his celebrity to raise awareness and spur research efforts.
“I’m not going to be the poster man for this but I will not shun opportunities that drive me to help others,” he said.
AID Atlanta spokeswoman Kristen Petillo said Sheen's announcement "has extreme significance for us all. Locally, this remains a problem in Georgia where we are currently No. 5 in the nation for new HIV infections. Moreover, we are reminded that HIV is not relegated to one segment of the population. Regardless of our socioeconomic standing, race, gender, or sexual identity, this is a disease that effects all walks of life."
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics show that 1.2 million people are living with HIV in the United States and that nearly one in seven, or 14 percent, of those individuals don't know they are infected. Approximately 50,000 Americans are newly infected with HIV each year, the CDC data show.
Petillo hopes that the buzz around Sheen's revelation will spur awareness.
"His announcement helps illuminate the shame and stigma that still surround an HIV+ diagnosis," she said. "This cause has not had a celebrity with such a personal attachment since Magic Johnson, and I hope that his honesty can help reignite public concern for HIV/AIDS."
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