Charlie Sheen writes in his new memoir that he lost his virginity as a high school sophomore to a Las Vegas escort paid for with his father Martin Sheen’s credit card.
In excerpts from "The Book of Sheen," the 60-year-old actor says he and a friend “borrowed” Martin Sheen’s card to pay a woman they identified as a "gorgeous redhead" named Candy. Sheen describes the encounter as "everything ... I could have imagined," adding that the woman asked him to "wake Dad up for an autograph." He writes that he “went first” and compared her to "Ann‑Margret in her prime with a Mastercard swiper."
Sheen recounts that when Martin Sheen, now 85, learned of the episode he lectured his son for two hours on "sex versus love." The memoir also details other aspects of the actor’s life, including liposuction, a sobriety journey, years of celibacy and what Charlie Sheen calls a "big ... betrayal" in his relationship with his father.
While promoting the book and an accompanying Netflix documentary, "aka Charlie Sheen," on television, Sheen said his father read the wide-ranging memoir and offered praise. Martin Sheen told him, "Your use of humor in your darkest moments is a gift to the reader," Charlie said during interviews.
The memoir frames Sheen’s recollections within a larger theme of choices and consequences. In an interview with Page Six, he said that theme prevented him from writing from "the viewpoint of a victim," and that the book is "really the story of a little kid just trying to find his way back home." Sheen has also discussed his forthcoming Netflix film, which begins streaming the day after the memoir's release.
Sheen has previously spoken publicly about difficult episodes in his life, including a drug overdose while on probation that culminated in Martin Sheen signing his son’s arrest warrant — an act Charlie later described as an expression of love. In "The Book of Sheen," the actor revisits those moments and others, using humor alongside candid admissions about his past.
The memoir was released Tuesday and the documentary "aka Charlie Sheen" is scheduled to begin streaming Wednesday. Excerpts and interviews have highlighted both revealing anecdotes and reconciliation between father and son, with Martin Sheen offering measured approval of his son's handling of painful material in the book.
If the issues raised in Sheen’s account — including addiction or mental health struggles — affect readers or someone they know, resources are available. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline can be reached at 1‑800‑662‑HELP (4357).