Charlie Sheen to make 'personal announcement' on NBC's 'Today' show Tuesday

[November 17, 2015] NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen is to make a "revealing personal announcement" on the "Today" show on Tuesday, according to broadcaster NBC, following reports in online and tabloid media that the Hollywood actor has been diagnosed as HIV positive.

Sheen's representatives could not be reached for comment, and Reuters was not able to verify reports on the state of his health.

NBC said in a statement on Monday that Sheen, 50, would make an announcement in a live interview on its morning "Today" show.

It did not give details of the interview, but Celebrity website TMZ.com, citing sources close to the "Today" show, said Sheen would use the interview to announce that he is HIV positive. The National Enquirer tabloid reported on Monday following an 18-month long investigation that Sheen was diagnosed HIV positive some years ago.

Sheen quickly became one of the top 10 surges on worldwide trends on Twitter on Monday, and Google searches for his name associated with HIV exploded, according to Google.

Sheen played the womanizing bachelor Charlie Harper on top-rated comedy "Two and A Half Men" for eight years before being fired in 2011 for bad behavior that included cocaine-fueled partying with porn stars and a conviction for assaulting his ex-wife.

The three times divorced Sheen then set up home with a number of porn stars he called "goddesses" and delivered a series of rants on YouTube boasting of having "tiger blood" in his veins.

Sheen, the son of "West Wing" actor Martin Sheen, starred in the TV comedy "Anger Management," which was closely based on his life, from 2012-2014.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant and Angela Moon)

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