Six years ago, Charlie Sheen made a change for the better, and he was inspired by a time that he let down his daughter. In a new interview with People, the Anger Management star opened up about his decision to stop drinking alcohol in 2017 after breaking a promise to one of his five children. The 58-year-old Sheen said that disappointing his kid "broke [his] heart" and that he stopped drinking cold turkey the very next day.
RELATED: Brad Pitt Credits This Huge Star With Helping Him Overcome Addiction.
"Next month I'll be six years sober," Sheen told People. "I have a very consistent lifestyle now. It's all about single dad stuff, and raising my 14-year-old twin boys Max and Bob." Sheen shares Max and Bob with ex-wife Brooke Mueller. He welcomed his oldest child, Cassandra Estevez, 38, with his high school girlfriend, Paula Profit. He also has two daughters, 19-year-old Sami and 18-year-old Lola, with ex-wife Denise Richards. It was breaking a promise to either Sami or Lola that led to Sheen's sobriety, though he did not specify which.
"I loved drinking in the morning. Loved some scotch in the coffee," Sheen said of his past with alcohol. But, there was one morning in 2017 when he drank and then had to be around one of his daughters.
"One morning I'd forgotten my daughter had an appointment I'd promised to drive her to, and I'd already had a couple of pops that day," the Two and a Half Men star said. "So had to call my friend Tony to take us. We got her there on time, but it broke my heart because she was in the backseat and I could just tell she was thinking, 'Why isn't dad driving?' So I got home and sat with that for the rest of the day. And the next morning I just stopped." According to Sheen, at this point he had already stopped using drugs.
"I think the first month I was like, I'm going to have give it a month, just see if I feel any better, and if my interactions with those that are closest to me improve. And they did," he explained. "And I'm like, all right, I'm going to go another month. And then it got traction. I had momentum. There was just instant evidence that this was the side I needed to be on. I couldn't be in denial about it anymore."
When he was in the depths of his struggles with substance abuse, Sheen made headlines for his erratic interview appearances and social media posts. He was also fired from Two and a Half Men and made offensive and anti-Semitic comments about the show's creator, Chuck Lorre.
"It feels awful. I can't sit here and lie to you," Sheen said of his past during a 2019 interview with Loose Women. "Some of it is very surreal. To this day, I'm not sure how I created such chaos and wound up in that headspace. It's as though there was some alien or demonic possession going on … I wish I could make a lot of it go away."
He said of past attempts at staying sober, "Every other time I was led there though an intervention or rehab or a detox or a thing. This last time—the last time—I couldn't get my daughter to an appointment that she had … The next morning I woke up and I just said, 'Today's the day.'"
Today, Sheen is happy with his life and how he turned it around. "I'm proud of the choices that I've made and the changes I've made to live a life today that will never look like that mess," he told People. "That was some alien version of myself."
For more celebrity news delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Lia Beck Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more.Read moreFiled UnderCelebrities • Entertainment • NewsRead This NextCharlie Sheen & Chuck Lorre End Feud
Sheen was fired from the sitcom 12 years ago after falling out with Chuck Lorre.November 30, 2023Why Charlie Sheen Supports Daughter's OnlyFans
The actor was originally against his teen daughter joining the platform.November 1, 2023Martin Sheen Was "Dangerously Drunk" on Set
The actor later said he "wrestled with some demons" on the iconic war film.July 5, 2023Charlie Sheen Threatened to Quit His Own Show
The two clashed on the series "Anger Management."January 21, 2023Denise Richards on Charlie Sheen Divorce
"That's when I was like, 'Well, why am I accepting this?'" the <em>Real Housewives</em> star said.August 15, 202210 Things You Didn't Know about Justin Trudeau
Athlete, nerd, hopeless romantic, thespian. Yes, there’s a lot more to Canada’s Prime Minister than just politics.March 21, 2017Jon Hamm: The Best Life Interview
Jon Hamm, star of TV's Mad Men, reveals the secrets of manliness in a postmodern world.November 15, 2016Driving Tips Smart Men Know
Ten easy ways to be the safest driver on the road. April 3, 2017Men Who Set the Time: Cash Warren
The successful producer, entrepreneur and husband of Jessica Alba reveals how you, too, can live your best life.October 31, 2016Dr. Oz: The Best Life Interview
Mehmet Oz, M.D., asks the toughest question: Are you living or dying?October 23, 2016
