JAN MOIR: A courageous victim? No, Charlie Sheen's just a selfish hedonist 

Forgive me for not feeling the love for Charlie Sheen, the Hollywood actor who went on television this week to confess that he was HIV positive.

Although hailed as a hero in some quarters for his candour, Sheen only made his public admission because an American newspaper was about to do the world a favour and expose him.

The hard-living 50-year-old was also being blackmailed and claimed to have paid out millions to those threatening to reveal his HIV status. He wasn’t being noble, he just ran out of options.

Actor Charlie Sheen with ex-girlfirends Natalie Kenly and Bree Olson. He went on American TV earlier this week to confess he was HIV positive 

Actor Charlie Sheen with ex-girlfirends Natalie Kenly and Bree Olson. He went on American TV earlier this week to confess he was HIV positive 

He’s a sex addict, he’s a drug addict, he’s the addicts’ addict of choice. He has issues, he’s had tissues, somebody took his dummy away when he was three years old. And none of it is his fault, oh dear me, no.

Sheen knew of his diagnosis four years ago — but carried on living his car-crash life, pedal to the metal as he flew down the highway to hell. He’s had three wives, numerous girlfriends and slept with thousands of prostitutes, porn stars, lovers and call girls over the years. Financial records appear to show that he spent more than £1 million on prostitutes in one year alone after his diagnosis.

‘I always led with condoms and honesty,’ he said this week, but many of his former partners dispute this. One madam says that Sheen reputedly paid prostitutes more to have unprotected sex with him — and many women willingly did so, hoping to get pregnant by the multi-millionaire star.

He is lavish when it comes to excusing his own bad choices. He said: ‘In this difficult time, I dazedly chose the companionship of unsavoury and insipid types.’

The hard-living 50-year-old was also being blackmailed and claimed to have paid out millions to those threatening to reveal his HIV status

The hard-living 50-year-old was also being blackmailed and claimed to have paid out millions to those threatening to reveal his HIV status

That’s particularly hateful, suggesting that when it comes to being infected with HIV, somehow the porn stars and random party girls of recent years are not as important as the more famous women earlier in his life.

Sheen, who is also known to have injected drugs, does not know how he contracted the disease. He insists that it is impossible that he passed it on to any sexual partners — but how can he be sure? At least six women, some who had sex with him as recently as last month, claim he did not tell them and plan to sue the actor.

No wonder. His behaviour has been selfish, dangerous, wicked — and also illegal in some parts of America where people with HIV may be prosecuted for intentionally or recklessly infecting another person.

Yet somehow, with a bit of careful PR fancy footwork and a brass neck bigger than the one on the Hubble Telescope, Sheen has positioned himself as a kind of modern-day hero; a casualty himself, a Cinderella-rock-a-fella party guy whose simple love of a good time was what brought him low.

Putting on his best victim-face, Sheen said he hopes his opening up about his diagnosis will help others feel more comfortable in doing the same.

‘I have a responsibility now to better myself and to help a lot of other people, and hopefully with what we’re doing today, others may come forward and say: “Thanks, Charlie. Thanks for kicking the door open.” ’

Snort. What a steaming pile of self-serving guff from a man clinging onto the tattered remains of his celebrity by his fingertips.

Yet galloping to his rescue came the usual suspects on social media; a cyber-army of dopey idealists falling over each other to praise Sheen’s ‘bravery’; a battalion of celeb-bores whose knee-jerk liberal reactions failed to reflect the reality of the sorry situation.

Bette Midler has urged caution, warning that ‘HIV stigma is not a good look on anyone’. Pop star Lady Gaga salutes Sheen and sees this as an opportunity for us all to learn about the ‘prevention, treatments and emotional intelligence as it relates to the stigma of the virus’.

Stigma?

Putting on his best victim-face, Sheen said he hopes his opening up about his diagnosis will help others feel more comfortable in doing the same

Putting on his best victim-face, Sheen said he hopes his opening up about his diagnosis will help others feel more comfortable in doing the same

The exasperating insinuation that any criticism of Sheen heralds a return to the HIV witch-hunts of the Eighties completely ignores the fact that the main reason he has been outed is because he had reportedly been keeping his infection secret from several thousand women. 

He’s no hero, he is a selfish hedonist, someone who thinks of only his own gratifications at the risk of others, a man who is a disgrace to his children, his ex-wives, his family and himself.

Perhaps understandably, his father, the actor Martin Sheen, spoke warmly of his ‘courage’. What else could he do?

You have to wonder about the women who hooked up with Sheen, who took their chances with him even though his reputation rolled before him like a toxic fog. If he had been living under a bridge instead of being a Hollywood star, would they still have gone to bed with this debauched loser? I wonder.

Meanwhile, nobody is supposed to say anything bad, because HIV can happen to anyone, right? Right. But if you go outside in the dead of winter, without warm clothes, over and over again, eventually you are going to catch a cold.

Charlie Sheen may not be the architect of his doom, but he has played a part in his own destiny. He was a man blessed with everything — good looks, talent, riches and perfect health — but who threw it all away and still won’t accept any responsibility for his fate.

Finding yourself with an HIV diagnosis might be the worst of bad luck, but in his case it is surely down to bad living, too.

 

Fish knives are out for Lady Colin

Darlings, thank you all for your contributions following my article earlier this week about Lady Colin Campbell, left, the spirited new star of ITV’s I’m A Celebrity.

Reader Stella Harris telephoned to say that when she worked in a Knightsbridge supper club during the Seventies, Lord and Lady Colin Campbell were frequent visitors. 

‘There is no way Lady C can be 66. I was in my 20s back then, and she was much older than me!’ says Stella. I’m saying nothing.

Lady Colin Campbell, who is currently appearing in the new series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here 

Lady Colin Campbell, who is currently appearing in the new series of ITV's I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here 

Meanwhile, a concerned neighbour of Lady Colin’s in Kennington emails to point out that the good Lady will be appalled that I called her home a ‘maisonette’, as she has ‘gone to a lot of trouble turning what was a garage on the ground floor into a dining room’.

Eek, fish knives at dawn! At least I didn’t call the neighbourhood a ‘dingy corner’ of South London, which is how another journalist described it when she interviewed Lady Colin. 

Still, I can’t be the only one slightly relieved Lady C is still on the other side of the world.

 

Ahead of his new job on breakfast telly, Piers Morgan finds it sexist that while presenter Susanna Reid is criticised for flirting with interviewees, he is congratulated and called a cheeky chappie when he does the same thing. Eh? By whom? His mum?

Piers shouldn’t assume the public hold him in the same affectionate high regard in which he views himself. 

The truth is, it is revolting when they both do it. God save us all when the oily flirt-freaks get together on ITV’s Good Morning Britain next week.

 

Jennifer Lawrence, currently the highest paid actress in Hollywood, has claimed she has to get ‘really drunk’ before doing a love scene with a married actor. 

Then she feels ‘racked with guilt afterwards’. What’s all that about?

To paraphrase Laurence Olivier, why not just try acting, my dear girl?

Jennifer Lawrence, who has claimed she has to get ‘really drunk’ before doing a love scene with a married actor

Jennifer Lawrence, who has claimed she has to get ‘really drunk’ before doing a love scene with a married actor

 

Why Dawn and I share a secret

Dawn French says that Nivea is better than cripplingly expensive Creme de la Mer. I think she’s right. A few years ago I was thrilled to road test a £300 pot of some kind of Creme de la Mer Super Elixir for this newspaper.

Like all those super pricey creams, it felt and looked incredible the first time — but, after that, it was just another moisturiser. This may come as a shock to you all, but I still didn’t look like Jennifer Aniston, even after repeated applications.

My current tip? Nivea For Men Sensitive Moisturiser. At under £7 it’s cheaper than the female version — and quite brilliant.

Dawn French, who says that Nivea moisturiser is better than cripplingly expensive Creme de la Mer

Dawn French, who says that Nivea moisturiser is better than cripplingly expensive Creme de la Mer

 

Australian actress Cate Blanchett is typically fabulous in her new film, Carol. It’s adapted from a Patricia Highsmith novel and set in Fifties New York over the Christmas period, and she features as a predatory housewife who takes an interest in elfin shopgirl Therese (Rooney Mara, also terrific).

Cate storms around in furs and gloves and silk scarves and brooches and divine tweed suits, perfect twin sets, pearls, cloche hats and pyjamas, in a blizzard of utter period loveliness. It’s worth seeing for the costumes alone — and the matte lipsticks.

However, what I really liked was Blanchett going wildly off topic while out promoting the film this week.

‘There just aren’t enough funnel web spiders being milked,’ she earnestly told a bemused Times reporter, while bemoaning a lack of spider anti-venom in Australia. What a gal.

 

Simply awful Nigella 

Urk, yet more vom-tastic suppers from sad singleton Nigella. I don’t know where this new series Simply Nigella (BBC2) is going — but I know where the recipes are headed. Straight into the bin.

In this week’s third episode, the foodie Cruella roasted a lettuce and fried an egg to make a hot Caesar salad — which she then ate on toast. Why?

Clearly, we are now approaching peak Nigella. The domestic goddess is reduced to floating around her lonely house, dreaming up increasingly desperate dishes, re-workings of classics that were perfectly nice in the first place, all in the name of entertainment.

Nigella Lawson, who in her new TV series is ireduced to floating around her lonely house, dreaming up increasingly desperate dishes

Nigella Lawson, who in her new TV series is ireduced to floating around her lonely house, dreaming up increasingly desperate dishes

Here is my tongue-in-cheek sneak peek of next week’s tasty treats.

Strawberries and Cream

Hull the strawberries and stuff the rubylicious beauties with foie gras and muntjac deer sausage. Deep fry some double cream and spread on Pumperdepump toast, top with the meaty fruity melange and chow down. Heaven!

Fish ’n’ Chips In A Bowl

Dip your fish in crushed cornflakes and smear your cheeks with baby oil. No real culinary reason, just do it. Fry everything in an elixir of coconut oil, smoosh with pomegranate seeds and top with a bag of crisps. Naughty me!

Cheese Sur Toast

Mix a pound of grated Che d’Dar with liquidised broccoli thickened with honey and goji berries. Slice jellied hooves into the mix. Boil a can of lager and add some Japanese matcha green tea powder. I don’t know why, it’s just a really trendy ingredient.

Have some cocaine, if necessary. Now, spread the mixture on toast and tumble on some cress while watching your ratings tumble, too. Fortifyingly fabulous!

 

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