LONDON — Hollywood actor Martin Sheen said his troubled son Charlie Sheen was battling a disease that was “as dangerous as cancer” in a radio interview aired Sunday.
Charlie Sheen was met with a fierce reaction while opening his national tour in Detroit on Saturday night, encountering heavy audience dissent and appalling reviews.
The former “Two and a Half Men” star, 45, was set to take his “My Violent Torpedo of Truth/Defeat Is Not An Option” tour to 18 cities across the US, with a show inspired by his firing from the program and the recent exposures of his private life.
But while being interviewed in London for the BBC, his father urged people to support his wayward son.
Martin Sheen, who enjoyed renewed fame with “The West Wing,” said, “Charlie is dealing with the most profound problems and addiction, it is no secret. His behavior has been an example of that.
“So, if he had cancer how would we deal with him?” he asked. “Well, he has another disease and it is equally as dangerous as cancer. And so we lift him up and we pray for him and be present to him.”
The 70-year-old, who overcame problems with alcohol himself as a young man, said, “[Charlie] has been out there on his own for a very long time and as a family you never get used to it.”