Charlie Sheen has revealed that his father, actor Martin Sheen, once turned him in to the police — a moment he describes as 'the greatest betrayal possible.'
In an interview on Monday, Sheen recalled the incident from 1998, when his father alerted authorities that he had violated the conditions of his bail and was still using drugs. At the time, Charlie Sheen had been arrested and charged with assaulting his then-girlfriend, Brittany Ashland. After being released on bail, he relapsed into drug use and suffered a cocaine overdose. Following that episode, Martin Sheen informed Charlie’s probation officer, who sent police to his home.
'Bodyguard told me through the bedroom door, ‘The police are on their way, we need to move in five minutes.’ Eventually I understood he did it out of love, but in that moment — I also write about it in my book — I felt it was the greatest betrayal possible,' Sheen said.
Although he was not sent back to prison, his probation was extended by a year. Sheen, who has long struggled with substance abuse, explained in the interview that his attraction to alcohol began in childhood, linked to the stutter he suffered as a boy. 'Drinking made it easier, it helped me speak more freely,' he said. His father first confronted him about his drinking in 1990, when Sheen was 24, but the intervention had little effect, and his struggles continued for years afterward.
This week marks the release of two major projects by the 60-year-old actor: his new autobiography, The Sheen Book, and a Netflix documentary, Also Known as Charlie Sheen. In the film, he is seen in tears saying, 'I cannot imagine what it is like to be my father. I hurt the people I love very much.'
Although Sheen now has a good relationship with Martin Sheen, his father did not participate in the documentary, nor did his older brother Emilio Estevez. Both, however, viewed an early cut and gave their blessing. Martin Sheen also read part of the memoir. 'He was halfway through the book and told me, ‘Your use of humor to describe your darkest moments is a gift to the reader.’ That’s how he put it,' Charlie recounted.
His daughter, Sami Sheen, a 21-year-old OnlyFans creator, also declined to take part and is currently estranged from him. 'I believe that as long as everyone is still with us, there is always hope for a better future,' Charlie said. 'I don’t know exactly what I did — that’s the problem. I don’t know what I’m supposed to apologize for. But I fully believe this won’t last forever and that we’ll work it out together. We already have a history of doing that, and it’s too important for me to let one moment destroy everything.'
Others did agree to participate, including Chuck Lorre, creator of Two and a Half Men, from which Sheen was fired after a public fallout, as well as his ex-wives Brooke Mueller and Denise Richards. Though both divorces were bitter, Sheen has since repaired his relationships with them. Richards attended the premiere of his film last week, and the pair posed together on the red carpet for the first time in nearly 20 years. 'We looked at each other on the red carpet and just started laughing,' Richards said afterward. 'Charlie asked, ‘Are we back in 2002?’ and I said, ‘It really feels that way.’ Who would have thought this would happen?'
Still, Sheen admits there are people with whom he has yet to make peace. 'There are others that if I could reach out to, or happen to cross paths with, I’d like to make amends,' he said.