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After hitting rock bottom, Sheen says he's finally taken control of his life. What happened to Charlie Sheen? A look at the actor's ups and downs amid his new N

After hitting rock bottom, Sheen says he's finally taken control of his life.

What happened to Charlie Sheen? A look at the actor's ups and downs amid his new Netflix documentary

After hitting rock bottom, Sheen says he's finally taken control of his life.

By Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe

Allison DeGrushe is an SEO timely writer at **. She joined the team in 2025.

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on September 11, 2025 3:51 p.m. ET

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Charlie Sheen in 'aka Charlie Sheen'. Credit:

Courtesy of Netflix

- Charlie Sheen appeared in some of the most powerful films of the 1980s before becoming a TV staple on *Two and a Half Men*.

- At his peak, Sheen battled addiction and faced highly publicized scandals.

- Now sober, he's the subject of a new Netflix documentary, *aka Charlie Sheen*.

For decades, Charlie Sheen's life (both the highs and the lows) has been on full display for the world to see.

From his early success in zeitgeist-defining films like *Platoon* (1986) and *Wall Street* (1987) to his stint as the highest-paid actor on TV (thanks to his role on *Two and a Half Men*), Sheen's career is nothing if not one of a kind.

However, behind the scenes, Sheen battled addiction, legal issues, and public scandals that eventually derailed his career.

Now, years into his sobriety, Sheen opens up about his journey to recovery in his new memoir, *The Book of Sheen*, and the two-part Netflix documentary *aka Charlie Sheen*. Here's a look at where the actor is now.

What happened to Charlie Sheen?

Charlie Sheen on a graffiti-covered New York City Subway train in October 1984.

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty

Charlie Sheen's breakthrough in Oliver Stone's *Platoon*, a film that went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, catapulted him to global stardom. But with the spotlight came the usual temptations: alcohol, drugs, and a lifestyle that quickly spiraled out of control.

The documentary sees Sheen revisit some of his most reckless moments, including an instance in which he flew with Nicolas Cage, who hijacked the plane's PA system pretending to be a deranged pilot. In another instance, during his 1995 honeymoon with then-wife Donna Peele, Sheen piloted a passenger jet while drunk. He faced no real consequences, which made him feel, in his own words, "untouchable."

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That same year, Sheen's name surfaced as a client of the infamous "Hollywood Madam," Heidi Fleiss, after he reportedly paid thousands for escort services. He testified against her to avoid jail time, and Fleiss was ultimately convicted and sentenced to 37 months in prison.

Looking back, Sheen admits he started "taking jobs to just fuel the habits." In a recent PEOPLE cover story, he explained that much of his early partying was driven by his fear of losing money and fame. "There was always that voice of doubt, that it was only a matter of time before it all went away, so to enjoy it as heartily as you can," he said.

Charlie Sheen seated in a red convertible.

Courtesy of Netflix

Unfortunately, as Sheen's career continued to climb, so did his substance abuse. After trying crack cocaine for the first time, he was instantly hooked, but in *aka Charlie Sheen*, he said he wished he could erase it from his life because it might've helped him avoid "some pretty awful situations."

In 1998, Sheen overdosed on cocaine and was hospitalized. His first attempt at rehab and sobriety was unsuccessful, and though *Two and a Half Men* would later bring him enormous success, it also marked the beginning of an even darker chapter in his personal life.

Why did Charlie Sheen leave Two and a Half Men?

(Left to right) Angus T. Jones as Jake, Jon Cryer as Alan, and Charlie Sheen as Charlie on 'Two and a Half Men'.

Mitchell Haddad/Warner Bros.

For a while, Sheen was the face of one of the most successful sitcoms in history. But behind the scenes of CBS's *Two and a Half Men*, Sheen was struggling. As revealed in *aka* *Charlie Sheen*, he'd started the show two years into sobriety, but, as longtime friend Sean Penn puts it, he was still "in the fight of his life."

In the documentary, Sheen reflects on his growing reluctance to continue the series, believing he was on the brink of burnout. After a visit from Les Moonves, then the head of CBS, he agreed to a two-year deal worth $2 million per episode, something he now calls "a recipe for disaster." Around the same time, he relapsed.

By 2011, things had reached a breaking point. Speaking in the documentary, Jon Cryer, Sheen's *Two and a Half Men *costar, admits that he was worried about Sheen every single day. That same year, the actor was fired from the sitcom following a series of erratic public outbursts and reported clashes with showrunner Chuck Lorre.

Charlie Sheen attends 'Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen' at Sony Studios on Sept. 10, 2011 in Los Angeles.

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Childhood friend Tony Todd claims in *aka Charlie Sheen *that the firing only worsened Sheen's situation, saying it "took his addiction to a higher level."**

In both the doc and his new memoir, Sheen attributes some of his worst behavior, including a now-infamous *20/20* interview, to a testosterone cream that pushed him to dangerous extremes and put him "into crazy brain," as he puts it.

That *20/20* interview, which spawned viral soundbites like "tiger blood" and "winning," is featured in the doc, along with footage of Sheen describing "banging seven-gram rocks" of crack cocaine. His former drug dealer and longtime friend, Marco, also appears in the documentary and confirms the staggering volume of drugs Sheen was using at the time.

During this time, Sheen's personal life was unraveling. He was in a long-running dispute with ex-wife Denise Richards. And his marriage to actress Brooke Mueller ended shortly after Sheen was arrested and pleaded guilty to assaulting her during a 2009 incident in Aspen, Colo.

What does Charlie Sheen say about his past controversies now?

After embarking on a 20-city speaking tour in 2011, Sheen largely stepped out of the spotlight. He reemerged in 2015, revealing that he was HIV-positive.

In *aka Charlie Sheen*, he addresses long-standing allegations from former fiancée Brett Rossi and others, who claim he knowingly exposed women to the virus. Sheen denies this. "Nobody got this from me. Period. The end. Full stop," he claims.

He also speaks out on allegations made by actor Corey Feldman in a 2017 documentary, *(My) Truth: The Rape of Two Coreys*. In that documentary, Feldman claims that actor Corey Haim said that Sheen sexually assaulted him during the making of 1986's *Lucas, *when Haim was 14 years old.

At the time, Sheen categorically denied the allegations to **, and he stands by that assertion in the documentary, calling it "a piece of vile fiction." He says he regrets not taking legal action and notes that Haim's mother has publicly refuted the accusation.

Where is Charlie Sheen now?

Charlie Sheen at the Evening with Charlie Sheen at Annabel's on April 9, 2019 in London.

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

In *aka Charlie Shee*n, the actor claims to have been sober for seven years. His sobriety, he says, was driven by a desire to show up for his children.

Sheen says he's made peace with most people, but he's still trying to forgive himself for his actions. "Forgiveness is still an evolving thing," he told PEOPLE. "I still get what I call the 'shame shivers.'"

He continued, "These are the moments that hit me, of the heinous memories and choices and consequences. They're getting farther in between, so I guess that's progress. What has been interesting about making amends is that most people have been like, 'Hey yeah, we're good man, but we hope you've also forgiven yourself.'"**

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards attend the premiere of Netflix's 'aka Charlie Sheen' at the Tudum Theatre on Sept. 4, 2025 in Hollywood.

LISA O'CONNOR/AFP via Getty

Sheen is also trying to reconnect with Cryer, as he was touched by his former castmate's honest and compassionate commentary in the documentary.

And what's next? Sheen says he isn't chasing a full-blown comeback, but he's not ruling out a return to acting. Most recently, he played himself on Lorre's HBO Max series *Bookie *(2023–2024), signaling that their long-standing feud may be behind them.

"I'm not calling all of this a comeback," he shared with PEOPLE. "I'm calling it a reset. I'm just living for the next moment, whatever that turns out to be."**

Where can I watch aka Charlie Sheen?

Charlie Sheen holding a plaque and crouching beside his Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1994.

Frank Trapper/Corbis via Getty

*aka Charlie Sheen *is now streaming on Netflix.

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