Hollywood actor Charlie Sheen has confirmed he is HIV-positive.

The Platoon actor, 50, speaking to Matt Lauer on American morning TV show Today, revealed he was diagnosed four years ago.

There was widespread speculation about Charlie’s health in the media in the days before the interview.

Speaking to Matt at NBC’s studios in New York, Charlie said: “I am here to admit I am HIV-positive and I have to put a stop to the onslaught and barrage of attacks and sub-truths that are threatening the health of so many others.”

Charlie revealed he was diagnosed after suffering from headaches and migraines and sweating in bed.

He said: “I had to be hospitalised, I thought I had a brain tumour, I thought it was over.”

He added: “It’s a hard three letters to absorb.”

Asked by Matt if people have demanded money to stay silent about his diagnosis, he said: “I have paid those people – not that many, but enough.”

He said he had been betrayed by people deep in his inner circle and when asked by Matt if he was talking about blackmail or shakedowns, Charlie said: “We are talking about shakedowns.”

Charlie revealed off-camera that the total was “upward of 10 million dollars” (£6.6 million).

“What people forget is that is money they are taking from my children,” he said.

In a letter to Matt that was read on air, Charlie said he had been the victim of “unsavoury and insipid types” after he led with “condoms and honesty when it came to my condition”.

In the letter he wrote: “Sadly my truth soon became their treason as a deluge of blackmail and extortion took centre stage in this circus of deceit.”

Charlie said it was “impossible” that he had passed on the virus to anyone else.

He admitted to having unprotected sex with two women but said both ”were under the care of doctor and completely warned ahead of time”.

Charlie’s physician, Doctor Robert Huizenga, joined the show in the second part of the interview and denied that the actor had Aids, as had been reported by some news outlets.

“He has undetectable levels of the virus in his blood… Charlie does not have Aids… Charlie has none of those (complications), he is healthy, he does not have Aids,” Dr Huizenga said.

Addressing whether Charlie can transmit the disease, Dr Huizenga said: “Individuals who are optimally treated have an incredibly low … it’s incredibly rare to transmit the virus.”

Asked if he was still abusing drugs, Charlie confessed: “No, I’m not, I’m still drinking a little bit.”

Matt questioned Charlie’s doctor over whether the actor could be trusted to take the four antiretroviral pills that he needs each day to suppress the virus.

“We’re petrified about Charlie, we’re so, so anxious that if he was overly depressed or abusing substances he would forget the pills… Somehow on the midst of incredible personal mayhem he has continued to take these pills.”

Charlie agreed and said he had “never missed any, not one”.

In the third part of the interview, Charlie told Matt that his ex-wives Denise Richards and Brooke Mueller had been aware of the condition for some time, but he had only broken the news to his children a few days before he went public.

“I told my oldest daughter Cassandra the other night. I felt bad, it hit her hard but she recovered. She’s tough like her dad… I said, ‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but I didn’t want to burden you with the stress. It didn’t seem like you could do anything for me’. She was a rock star about this,” he said.

Asked if he expected more lawsuits now the news was public, Charlie replied: “I would be predicting the future and assuming the worst, I can only imagine based on what I’ve already experienced and what’s come down the pike, sure.”

Matt questioned whether the actor expected legal charges to be brought against him, noting that it is illegal in 35 states not to disclose HIV status to a sexual partner.

“Having divulged it is the reason I’m in the mess I’m in, having all the shakedowns. I can’t sit here and protect against all of that. I can only sit here with you and tell my truth,” Charlie said.

The actor said that revealing the news was “socially driven” but admitted his financial situation had been affected by the 10 million dollars he had given away in “shakedowns”.

“My financial situation is not great. It will be great again, I’m a survivor, I’ve been up, I’ve been down, I’ve been rich, I’ve been poor… It’s another chapter in my life. It’s not commerce driven, it’s socially driven.”

He added: “I’m not going to be the posterman for it but I’m not going to shun anyway from the responsibilities and opportunities that let me help others.”

Matt asked what headlines Charlie expected to read now his medical condition had been revealed.

“You can never really predict how the media is going to roll with something. I would hope, I have faith, that it would be a lot more forgiving than some of the garbage I’ve been reading in the last couple of days. It can’t get worse that that.”

Speaking about the worse headline he had read, Charlie said: “That I knew I had Aids and was intentionally spreading it. That’s as far from the truth than could be.”

In the studio, Matt read out tweets of support to Charlie and one that suggested he had brought the condition upon himself with his lifestyle choices.

Charlie conceded: “That’s not a completely inane or crazy statement. I have to look at all sides but I’m going to ride this wave of support and if there’s one guy on this planet to contract this that’s going to deliver a cure, it’s me, seriously.”

Speaking about whether he has conquered his demons, Charlie said: “I think very far down the road. There’s a lot about that I’m not proud of. You can only hear winning in the street so many times.

“I missed out on a lot of very good opportunities but I’m approaching it at this time of a philanthropic approach.”