Former NBA star Earvin “Magic” Johnson has taken to Twitter to publicly support Charlie Sheen in the wake of his Today show announcement. After weeks of speculation, the Hollywood actor revealed he had been diagnosed HIV-positive four years ago on Tuesday in a sit-down interview with Matt Lauer.
“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," Johnson wrote to his 2.84 million fans on Twitter following Sheen's appearance.
He added that he hopes that 50-year-old will use his celebrity status to help “educate the world” about the disease.
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
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 17, 2015
In @CharlieSheen breaking his silence, I hope he joins me in educating the world about HIV/AIDs.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) November 17, 2015
Johnson announced he had HIV in 1991 and issued a public statement saying that he would retire immediately and dedicate his life to “battle this deadly disease”. He has been an advocate for those suffering from HIV ever since, creating the Magic Johnson Foundation to help combat it.
After revealing his fight against HIV, Sheen wrote an open letter to his fans , where he said he sees his condition not as a "curse" but "rather as an opportunity and a challenge".
