Denise Richards explained the predicament Charlie Sheen put her in by announcing he was HIV+ on The Today Show a decade ago.
The Drop Dead Gorgeous actress appeared on the Whine Down podcast and explained that Charlie didn’t give the opportunity to protect their daughters from hearing the news in a more sensitive way.
Parenting in the public eye:
Growing up with the internet and social media, Sami and Lola were privy to their parents’ personal life thanks to the world wide web. “They weren’t ones to Google us because we’re mom and dad. Obviously, their dad had a lot of public stuff, too.”
“There were things that I would tell them like, ‘You might hear something at school. If you have any questions, please come to me.’ And they didn’t even ask.”
“I did have to tell them when he came out publicly that he has HIV. I was kind of upset with Charlie that he didn’t warn me …”
There was no “heads-up” from Charlie to the mother of his kids. “It was everywhere. I think I picked them up early from school that day because I didn’t want kids at school to tell them. I had to have a conversation about that.”
The RHOBH alum noted that “It was hard to explain to them” what Charlie’s diagnosis meant.. “But that was the only time I can remember. There’s been a few things that I’ve had to have conversations with them about. But for the most part, I really tried to shelter them from a lot of stuff.”
Sami spoke out about Charlie and Denise’s co-parenting:
The Denise Richards and Her Wild Things star described her relationship with her dad as “complicated” while Lola said they were in a good place.
“My life is way more enjoyable when we have a relationship because if not, it’s like, I hate having that feeling of not talking.”
“Obviously, we go through ups and downs sometimes, but our relationship is good. When I really started to struggle with my mental health, he really helped me because he’s not very emotional so he kind of gets straight to the point, and I think that’s what helped me in moments of anxiety.”
