In his new memoir, The Book of Sheen, and the accompanying Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen, Mr. Sheen confirms what has long been the subject of whisper campaigns: he has had sexual encounters with men. Sheen terms this experience as 'flipping the menu over' and challenges his formerly hyper-heterosexual image. His story challenges the assumption that sexuality is a fixed state determined in youth, suggesting instead that exploration and self-discovery can occur even later in life. At 59, his willingness to publicly acknowledge this facet of his past pushes back against the stigma surrounding late-in-life revelations about sexuality.
The Netflix documentary aka Charlie Sheen, released in September 2025, provides further context to this revelation. Directed by Andrew Renzi, the two-part series delves into Sheen’s life story, from his rise in Hollywood through his battles with addiction to his path toward recovery and reflection. Featuring candid interviews with Sheen and those close to him, including family members and former partners, the documentary paints a raw and emotional picture of a man wrestling with his past and redefining his present. Critics have generally responded positively to the series, which holds a 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes among critics and an 81% audience score, praising its honest portrayal of Sheen’s complex journey.
Speaking at New York’s 92nd Street Y, Sheen shared insights into his sobriety and the memoir-writing process, opening up about the many hardships he has faced—from addiction to his HIV diagnosis—and how these have shaped his outlook. This reflective tone appears to underpin his recent public statements about sexuality, framed less as a shake-up and more as an evolution of self—a theme that resonates in both the memoir and documentary. Source: Noah Wire Services