Martin Sheen Praises Charlie Sheen’s ‘Courage’ Following HIV Admission

Charlie Sheen’s dad, Martin Sheen, has spoken out about his son revealing to
the world that he’s living with HIV.

“He
had been leading up to this sort of story for several months, and we kept
encouraging him to do it,” the actor said during the eighth annual
CME Group’s Global Financial Leadership Conference held Tuesday,
according to a report by the Naples Daily News.

“He
kept backing away and backing away because it was like going to his own
execution, I guess. It was the most difficult thing he’d ever done. And he kind
of sealed it when he called Matt Lauer last week and asked if he could go
on,” he continued.

The
Hollywood veteran said he wasn’t sure his son was actually going to go public
with his health battle.

“We
didn’t know until he walked on the set [Tuesday] morning that he was going to do it,” he
explained. “I saw him Saturday night, my wife and I went to see him, to
make sure he knew we were behind him, and if he wanted me to go, I would have
canceled this event. He said, no, this was his and his alone.”

READ: Charlie Sheen Admits He’s HIV-Positive, Diagnosed 4 Years Ago

The
actor praised his son’s courage during the talk.

“This
morning, as I watched him alone, reveal his deepest, darkest secret, I couldn’t
believe the level of courage I was witnessing, and that it was my son,” he
reportedly told the crowd.  “I left him a message, and I said that if
I had that much courage, I would change the world.”

Despite
Charlie’s current prognosis, Martin remains optimistic for his son.

Watch: Why Did Charlie Sheen Wait 4 Years To Reveal His HIV Status?

“I
hope that this day is the first day of the rest of Charlie’s life as a free
man,” he added.

As
previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, on Tuesday’s “Today”
show, Charlie told Matt Lauer that’s known he was HIV-positive for four years.

“I’m
here to admit that I am in fact HIV-positive and 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 from the
truth,” he said.

— Jesse Spero