The Biggest Skeletons In The Sheen Family Closet

The following article mentions substance abuse, domestic abuse, and allegations of sexual assault. 

Before there were the Kardashians, you could say that the Sheens were Hollywood's most famous controversial brood. The family has had a long and successful run in show business that began back in the late 1950's when patriarch, Martin Sheen, began his career as an actor. He later went on to have four children with his wife Janet, who are Emilio, Ramón, Carlos (Charlie), and Renée. While all four children have tried their hand at acting like their dad, Ramón and Renée have found success behind-the-scenes producing and writing. Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen, however, went on to become just as famous as Martin, and in Charlie's case, a tabloid fixture.

When it came to his children following in his footsteps, Martin admitted to Closer Weekly, "I was so self-involved and trying to be a provider that I wasn't aware of their inclination to being actors." He didn't seem happy about it either, even telling The Los Angeles Times, "I wouldn't have inflicted show business on my children. I don't think anyone in this business that is honest about it would want their children in it."

If that sounds a bit negative, it may be because the limelight hasn't always been so kind to the Sheens. A lot of embarrassing and personal things about them that they presumably would have preferred stayed private, have made multiple headlines over the years. With so many of their secrets going public, let's break down the biggest skeletons in the Sheen family closet.

Chances are when you think of a Sheen with a dark side, you probably think of Charlie, but his dad Martin Sheen has a shady past too. That's because Sheen used to have a secret drinking problem. He even shocked fans by revealing at the Dubai International Film Festival that his drunken breakdown in "Apocalypse Now" wasn't necessarily acting since he had been heavily drinking at the time. He dished, "I was so hopelessly drunk I couldn't stand up," adding, "I went very deep into my own personal pain and alcoholism and self-loathing."

While Sheen had tried to hide his drinking from others, his family was aware. His son, Emilio Estévez, told The Irish Examiner, "​​He was a terrible drunk ... He would get sentimental and angry. It scared all of us." However, when a friend suggested that Sheen go to AA, he initially denied he had a problem. "My drinking was a macho thing ... for me it was, 'This'll help me be a better actor,' he divulged.

Sheen admitted that having a heart attack and getting caught drunk driving were the wake up calls he needed. "We want everyone to think well of us and I was exposed," he admitted. While he's been sober for years, he told The Telegraph in 2011 that he understood Charlie Sheen's struggle with addiction. At the time, he explained, "I know what hell he's living in. I've had psychotic episodes in public. One of them was on camera."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

There is one incident involving Charlie Sheen that has stayed pretty mysterious which was when his then-fiancé, late actor Kelly Preston, was shot. The two had been engaged in 1989, but broke up that next year after Preston suffered a gunshot wound to her arm. Because the incident happened with Sheen at his home right before they split, many believed (and still do) that Sheen shot her.

The shooting was shrouded in secrecy until Sheen finally revealed what really happened (or at least his version) during a stop on his "My Violent Torpedo of Truth" tour in 2011. Not surprisingly he didn't hold back. He recalled (via Newsweek) that they weren't even in the same room, saying, "I heard a f**king gunshot go off. I thought ... 'She killed herself and they're going to f***ing blame me.'" He continued to explain, "When she lifted my pants off the scale in the bathroom ... the tiny revolver I used to carry ... it fell out of the back jeans pocket and hit the floor and shot a bullet right between her legs," adding that she had actually got hit by shrapnel.

While Sheen has been involved in multiple domestic violence incidents over the years, Preston denied that he had shot her, confirming to TMZ that it was a freak accident. The Mirror reports that she remembered their time together fondly, too, dishing, "We were together for a year, and he wasn't drinking, and he wasn't doing drugs and there's a beautiful person in there."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

It seems Charlie Sheen had wanted to keep his HIV diagnosis a secret and while he shouldn't have to share any personal health information, he was apparently forced into it. The "Two and a Half Men" star revealed that he was HIV positive on the "Today" show in 2015 after being extorted by people who threatened to expose him first. He explained, "I trusted them and they were deep in my inner circle, and I thought they could be helpful. My trust turned to their treason."

Not only did Sheen claim that he had spent over $10 million on blackmail, but he was also tired of the tabloids falsely reporting that he had AIDS and was spreading it to others. "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," he said. Sheen went on to clarify that he couldn't have put any of his sexual partners in danger because he had always worn condoms. He even added that he told them about his HIV status before any encounters.

Some women, however, refuted those claims like his ex, Bree Olson, who told Howard Stern that she learned about his HIV with the rest of the world. "I am so upset. He doesn't even value my life," she said. Another woman sued Sheen for exposing her to HIV without her knowledge and he settled that lawsuit for $120,000.

Charlie Sheen's next marriage, to Brooke Mueller, may be his most damaging relationship since they lost custody of their children. Sheen had married Mueller in 2008 and they had twin boys a year later. While that should have been a happy time, there were reports that Sheen was arrested months later for threatening Mueller with a knife. They went on to divorce, with Mueller even taking a restraining order out against Sheen, before their twins were removed from his home.

It appears the twins weren't better off with Mueller though, since in 2011 she was arrested for allegedly possessing cocaine. Then in 2013, DCF removed the children from her home too, with an insider telling E! that she'd often disappear for weeks. "It's been so bad," they claimed. Mueller was able to regain custody again in 2014, but by 2016 she was back in rehab, before she and her kids were reported missing later that year.

TMZ reported that Mueller was found and hospitalized after getting into a fight with her nanny at a bar where she had brought her 7-year-old sons. At the time, Sheen said, "I'm just trying to get my kids home safe." The twins were later put into the custody of her parents when she went to rehab again in 2019. It seems Sheen had enough of Mueller at that point, telling The Blast, "Brooke is currently tucked away, (yet again!) for the umpteen billionth time, seeking the help she needs."

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' eldest daughter, Sami Sheen, spilled some of their family drama on TikTok by making some shocking allegations about her living with her mother in 2021. The then-17-year-old posted a since-deleted video of herself, writing, "1 year ago today: trapped in an abusive household, hated myself, would go days without eating or sleeping, insanely depressed." She then made a follow-up TikTok, sharing, "now: finally moved out of the hell house ... and dropped out of high school."

It was later revealed that Sami had moved in with Charlie because, like most teens, she didn't want to follow her mother's rules. Charlie was apparently thrilled with that decision, gushing through his rep, "We're having a ball. GED here we come" (via Page Six). Things changed though when Sami decided to start an OnlyFans, an adult website. Charlie didn't seem thrilled, explaining in a statement to Us Weekly, "She is 18 years old now and living with her mother. This did not occur under my roof."

While Richards was seemingly happy to have Sami home, she clapped back at Charlie, saying, "This decision wasn't based on whose house she lives in." It appeared to have all worked out though since not only did Richards join Sami on OnlyFans, but she even praised her daughter's decision on Instagram. All in all, a lot of the Sheen family secrets have hit the headlines, but that's sometimes the price you pay for fame.