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Sheen told "Today" host Matt Lauer that since finding out he was HIV positive, he had received blackmail threats from dozens of people and had paid out millions in "shakedowns," said Sheen on NBC News.
During the interview, Sheen also said he always told prostitutes he hired that he was HIV positive, but "stupidly" thought he could trust them. He added that people inside his inner circle had threatened to expose him if he didn't pay them off, the reported continued.
The actor has known about the diagnosis for four years and that said he would stop paying the blackmailers today. He said that his main reason coming forward was to educate and help others to learn about the disease, said Sheen on NBC News.
Although he has been married several times, Sheen said none of his former wives or children are infected with the disease, according to NBC News.
HIV infects 36.9 million people around the world, according to the United Nations AIDS agency UNAIDS. In the U.S., more than 1.2 million people have HIV, reported NBC News.
To watch the entire interview, click here.
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