Charlie Sheen, the notorious actor and former star of Two and a Half Men, had a close call with death on Tuesday, when a fan of his nearly choked him to death with a hug. The incident happened at a book signing event in Los Angeles, where Sheen was promoting his new memoir, Winning: How I Conquered Hollywood and My Demons.
According to witnesses, the fan, a middle-aged woman wearing a T-shirt that read “I Love Charlie Sheen”, approached Sheen and asked him to sign her copy of the book. Sheen obliged, and then the fan suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed him tightly, shouting “You’re the best, Charlie! You’re the best!”
Sheen, who was caught off guard by the hug, struggled to breathe and tried to free himself from the fan’s grip. He managed to signal for help, and security guards rushed to his rescue. They pried the fan off him, and escorted her out of the venue. Sheen, who was visibly shaken and gasping for air, was checked by a paramedic and given some water.
Sheen later told reporters that he was fine, and that he appreciated the fan’s enthusiasm, but that she had gone too far. He said that he was used to getting hugs from fans, but that this was the first time someone had tried to kill him with one.