EXCLUSIVE: Denise Richards Was 'Worried Sick' She and Her Kids Would Test Positive for HIV After Charlie Sheen's Diagnosis, Source Claims
Denise Richard divorced Charlie Sheen in 2006.
Sept. 2 2026, Published 2:53 p.m. ET
Denise Richards was left "worried sick" about the possibility that either she or her children could test positive for HIV after her ex-husband, Charlie Sheen, revealed his battle with the health condition, according to a source.
Ahead of Sheen's 61st birthday on September 3, RadarOnline.com revisits his 2011 diagnosis and the fallout with his ex-wife.
Denise Richard Was 'Terrified' Her Family Would 'Test Positive'
Denise Richard and Charlie Sheen share two daughters together.
Richards and Sheen tied the knot in June 2002. They went on to welcome their first daughter, Sami, in 2004. The next year, the RHOBH alum gave birth to another daughter, Lola.
However, she decided to end their relationship a few months before their second child was born. The divorce was finalized in 2006.
'She Was Still Worried Sick'
A source claimed Denise Richards was 'terrified' she or her kids could test positive for HIV.
But their co-parenting relationship took another turn when Sheen reportedly confessed to her in 2011 that he'd been diagnosed with HIV.
"He told Denise he got it from a hooker after they broke up, but she was still worried sick," a friend of Richards explained in resurfaced exclusive comments. "She got herself and the kids tested, terrified that they would test positive. Thank God, they didn’t."
The pal also claimed that Richards "hated him with all her heart" after his confession and was considering going "public" with his diagnosis. She eventually decided to keep it to herself.
"Denise never felt it was her business to tell. Plus she genuinely pities him," added the friend. "He would show up on her doorstep or call her late at night, crying about dying."
Charlie Sheen Sued by Ex
Charlie Sheen settled a lawsuit with an ex-partner in 2022.
Richards wasn't the only woman concerned after Sheen's revelation about his health.
In 2017, one of the Two and a Half Men star's ex-partners, known as Jane Doe, filed a lawsuit against him. She alleged that he knowingly exposed her to HIV after his diagnosis, despite her claims that she'd asked him if he had any sexually transmitted diseases.
Sheen denied withholding information on his status from his partners.
The lawsuit was reportedly settled in 2022 for $120,000, according to TMZ.
Charlie Sheen Claimed He Wanted to Die When He Was Diagnosed
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Charlie Sheen spoke out on his HIV status in an interview with Michael Strahan.
Sheen opened up about his feelings regarding his diagnosis in a 2017 sit-down with ABC News' Michael Strahan that was shared on Good Morning America.
"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," he explained. "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.'"
He noted that if he'd been diagnosed with brain cancer or meningitis, he "wouldn't be sitting here right now," as he expressed how "grateful" he was for treatments that were available to him at the time.
Sheen added he was "even more grateful for what's available right now."
