Former NBA Star Magic Johnson Calls Out Charlie Sheen To Join Him in HIV Education

Former NBA star Magic Johnson expressed his support to actor Charlie Sheen after he revealed that he is HIV positive. The basketball icon also urged Sheen to join him in his HIV education advocacy.

On his Twitter account, Johnson delivered message full of hope to the Hollywood actor.

"I wish @CharlieSheen and his family the best. With the advancement in treatments and medicine he can fight this disease and live a long life. In @CharlieSheen breaking his silence, I hope he joins me in educating the world about HIV/AIDs," the former Los Angeles Lakers star tweeted.

People noted that the 56-year-old former basketball player revealed that he was HIV positive back in 1991. Since then, he has started a massive campaign to help people get through this disease which led to the founding of the Magic Johnson Foundation.

According to ET Online, Johnson has remained "an outspoken advocate for disease" since he discovered that he had it.

"He retired from basketball after receiving his diagnosis," the same report noted.

For Sheen, his turn to reveal the health condition came just recently in an interview with Today.

"It's a hard three letters to absorb. It's a turning point in one's life. 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, threatening the health of so many others that couldn't be further from the truth," the actor said.

He explained in his interview that he was pushed to make the announcement to put an end to "a smear campaign and extortion efforts."

Prior to his revelation, the actor said he has spoken about his condition of the people he can trust. However, he claimed that it already cost him $10 million "to keep the illness a secret."

"What people forget is that that's money they're taking from my children. I trusted them and they were deep in my inner circle, and I thought they could be helpful. My trust turned to their treason," Sheen added in the interview.

CNN noted that one of the people whom Sheen paid to keep quiet was a prostitute, who took photos of the actor's medications and threatened to sell these photos.

Sheen expressed that he has gotten tired of paying large amounts of money to these kinds of people.

The "Two and a Half Men" star added that he wanted to be liberated from this issue in his life.

"That's my goal. That's not my only goal. I think I release myself from this prison today," he added.