Denise Richards had to explain to her young daughters that their father, Charlie Sheen, was HIV positive after he publicly announced his diagnosis. This occurred after Sheen’s 2015 announcement on the “Today” show, which Richards said she was not warned about beforehand. Richards worried about her daughters, Sami and Lola, learning about their father’s condition from other children at school.

Richards stated that it was difficult to explain the diagnosis to her daughters when they were younger. She generally tries to shield her children from public controversies involving herself and Sheen. Richards and Sheen were married from 2002 to 2006 and share two daughters.