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On the TODAY Show this morning (Nov. 17), Charlie Sheen confirmed that he indeed is HIV positive. The actor revealed that he was diagnosed four years ago and has paid out millions to keep it a secret.

Reports the TODAY Show:

Sheen said he made the announcement to stop a smear campaign and extortion efforts.

“I have to put a stop to this onslaught, this barrage of attacks and of sub-truths and very harmful and mercurial stories that are about me, that threaten the health of so many others that couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said.

Sheen said he was diagnosed roughly four years ago but doesn’t know how he contracted it.”It started with what I thought was a series of crushing headaches,” he said. “I thought I had a brain tumor. I thought it was over.”

He also insisted it was “impossible” that he knowingly transmitted the virus to others. While he admitted he has had unprotected sex with two people since the diagnosis, both were informed ahead of time and have been under the care of his doctor.

According to Sheen, he told some close friends but some people extorted him with the privileged info, for millions.

“What people forget is that its money taken from my children,” he said about the “shakedowns” he has experienced.

“I trusted them and they were deep in my inner circle, and I thought they could be helpful,” he said. Instead, “my trust turned to their treason.”

But he said appearing on TODAY will help put a stop to those payout.

“That’s my goal. That’s not my only goal. I think I release myself from this prison today,” he said.

Sheen maintained that he always made his partners aware of his condition and the two people he had unprotected sex with knew about his condition.

After today, he’s not paying the aforementioned extorters. Sheen also said he is not aware how he contracted the virus.

Watch the segment below.

Photo: NBC