In person, Capri Anderson is just a sweet and sensitive 22-year-old girl who also happens to make really good adult films. But life for Anderson took a dramatic turn in 2010 when the freckle-faced porn star got in over her head with the king of sleaze, Charlie Sheen.
On the night in question, Charlie was found naked and intoxicated in the trashed Plaza hotel suite and taken to the hospital for the day. He later referred to the incident as “one bad night” blown out of proportion by the media. But Anderson’s version of what happened that evening isn’t quite as dismissive.
Capri, who was hired to escort Charlie Sheen to dinner, ended her night locked in Sheen’s hotel bathroom in fear for her life. According to Anderson, “Towards the latter half of the night, it got really bad. He started yelling racial slurs… but it wasn’t until he put his hands around my neck that I really thought to myself, ‘You have gotten yourself in a bad, bad situation.’” Later that week, Sheen offered Anderson $25,000, and when she refused, he accused her of stealing his Rolex watch.
The case is currently under review by the New York Police Department and Anderson has filed a civil lawsuit against the actor for damages.
I recently had the opportunity to photograph Capri Anderson in her modest Brooklyn apartment and chat with her about the night she’ll never forget.
Chaunce Hayden: Let’s start with this… What is the biggest misconception about you?
Capri Anderson: I think one of the most misunderstood things about me is that I’m not like any other 22-year-old girl. Maybe I’m not in college and, yes, I’m in the adult film industry, but at the end of the day, I’m still just a 22-year-old girl. I do regular things and I hang out with my friends. It’s not like I’m a crazed sex addict! Don’t get me wrong; I’m still a very hormonal young girl… (laughs)
So what do you think people assume about you? What do you think my perception of you is?
It’s hard to say. There are so many different kinds of people in the world. I will tell you that some of the media has been really cruel to me, but there have been other media outlets, like “Good Morning America” and “Inside Edition,” that have been real with me. I appreciated the way that they portrayed me.
Give me an example of cruel.
Cruel would be mocking about stealing watches or dropping the word “hooker.” Just speaking down over my choice to be in the adult film industry or what the word “escort” means. Everybody has a right to their own opinion, but if you got to spend time on a porn set and meet the people who do it, you would have a different opinion. To me, my profession is the same as a stockbroker on Wall Street. I’m the utmost professional in all that I do. I don’t have evil intent against anybody. Yet, people crucify me for being in the porn world and being a sex symbol. I just think it’s in my biological makeup to be sexual.
The public can be very hypocritical. Do you think it’s fair to say that if Charlie Sheen offered a young girl thousands of dollars to have dinner with him and his ex-wife, Denise Richards, at the most expensive restaurant in New York City, almost all would have said yes?
I do think that’s fair to say, and I do think that people are hypocrites. I’m even guilty of that way of thinking! But you never know what people will do when presented with an opportunity. It’s just a matter of being at a certain place and a certain time. I’m just a girl who happens to be in the adult film industry and happened to get a very enticing offer from Charlie Sheen.
Tell me about Charlie’s offer.
I do a lot of appearances at conventions and things like that, but this was so personal. The invitation said, “Will you join me at a dinner party with my group of friends, at a beautiful restaurant [Danielle’s], sitting between Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen.” It was exciting! I’m not going to lie to you… if you saw photos from that evening, I’m smiling the whole time. I’m glowing. I was starstruck. And Denise Richards was the sweetest person in the world. I couldn’t believe how nice and sweet she was. The same thing about Charlie. I wasn’t aware of all the bad things he was involved in. I was out that afternoon buying a brand new Prada purse and beautiful dress to wear for that evening. In fact, I didn’t even know I was getting paid. I was just happy to be going to dinner with Charlie and Denise. It wasn’t until later that day my agent told me it was an appearance and I would be getting paid.
So, it was a job?
Yeah, only I usually don’t get paid that much when I show up at a convention!
How much did Charlie pay you to have dinner with him?
I was paid $3,500 to go to that dinner. The next day, the man, who claims I stole his watch and defamed me, offered me $25,000 via text message to say he’s sorry. He sent me that text message before he decided to tell the cops and the whole world that I stole his watch.
What was your first reaction when you found out Charlie was accusing you of stealing his Rolex watch?
I laughed. I thought it was a joke.
Can I search your apartment?
Sure, rip it apart! The cops came into the hotel bathroom that evening and found me pretty much nude with all my belongings outside. All I had with me was my cell phone. And, I assure you, if you know my work on film, you know I couldn’t fit a Rolex watch up my ass! Nothing that jagged is going anywhere near my behind!
It had to be frustrating to have a big Hollywood star accusing you of stealing and not have any way to stop the negative public opinion toward you.
I don’t watch a lot of television, and I’m a very resilient person. I’ve been that way my whole life. What hurts me the most about those stories is how it’s going to affect my family. Even though they know it’s not true, they have to deal with the people in their lives. The worst part about all this is how I damaged my family. I hurt them and ruined some of their relationships. My sisters and brother have to defend me and take offense to what people say to them all the time. But that’s how powerful the media can be. They spoon-feed you false information and you have to just take it. I have learned that what we see on TV is nothing but lies that are spoon-fed to us on a daily basis. The whole thing freaks me out. I get so worked up.
You seem to have found a sense of humor as a way of dealing with all this, but were there nights when you were alone and it really got to you?
After this interview, I’ll read you something very private that I wrote to myself the very night it happened. I sat right on this couch and wrote down my feelings. It will give you some insight to the other side of me. But you’re right; I do try to make light of it so that it’s easier on the people around me. But I’ll be honest; when it first happened and I went to hide out in California and the media was camped outside my home, I turned on the television just once and what I saw made me want to stand on the ledge and jump off. I will never be able to describe what it was like to have my personal life exposed on national television. There’s no way to describe it. People ask how I can get naked on camera, but that’s not the same as getting ripped apart by millions and millions of people. And I can’t stress enough that my family had to watch it. It sucks. It made me really fall apart. I really contemplated committing suicide. I’ve never been arrested and I have a very clean record, but the DA’s office picked my life apart when they were asking me questions. It brought back so many bad memories about my life, and the whole time I had to worry if they weren’t going to see me as a victim because of whom I am.
So, you felt that because you’re a porn star, the police wouldn’t handle the case with the same respect and concern that they would have had you been a cheerleader or nurse?
Exactly.
Did you know the night you were locked in Charlie’s hotel bathroom that his children were right across the hall?
No, and that weighed on me for days. It turned my stomach. When these girls get older and look back on these stories, what will they think?
Do you believe in sex addiction?
Definitely.
What is a sex addict?
Somebody who can’t go a day without having sex!
Isn’t that a typical guy?
No! I have had boyfriends and have been in relationships that have lasted over a year, and I’m a pretty good-looking gal and we didn’t have sex every single day. I also know they weren’t on the computer whacking off every minute. But from what I hear about Charlie, part of the reason he got divorced from Denise Richards was that he was consistently looking at porn. And I can tell you he really does know his stuff. When I sat down with him and Denise, he started bragging whom I was and that I was the girl in the movie with Georgia Jones. He was yelling, “The study video! You know, the video where the girls are studying!”
And what was Denise doing at that point?
She just put her head down and said, “OK, Charlie. Hi, it’s nice to meet you.” You would have to see her face. It was so awkward.
Do you think Charlie Sheen is a good looking man?
I think he was good looking when he was younger. I think, now, he’s kind of lost it. I think as a young man in his 20s, he was very good looking and that’s the image most young girls have of him. It isn’t until you’re standing in front of him that you realize how he’s aged. Plus, a lot has to do with how he acts. In the beginning of the evening, he was OK, but he changed as the night went on.
How so?
Once I got to really observe him, I saw a lot of arrogance. This is so cruel of me to say, but all the people sitting at the table laughing at his jokes were only laughing because of the money in his pockets.
In other words, Charlie is surrounded by an entourage of Yes Men who cater to his whims?
Definitely! It’s those so-called friends that are Charlie’s biggest problem. When I’m falling down a slippery slope, my friends are the first people to reach down and grab me by my backside and pull me back to reality. Not, “Hey, give us a thousand bucks and we’ll get some drugs. Let’s party some more!” That’s the last thing Charlie needs.
Describe Charlie’s behavior the night you were together with him. We hear so many stories, but nobody knows better than you as to what kind of person he truly is.
I can’t even find the words to describe his behavior. How can a guy be so out of his mind and yet be able to go to work and star on a TV show? I never really watched his show before that night, but after our encounter, I decided to see what people were so impressed about.
And?
And to be honest, after watching “Two and a Half Men,” I wasn’t impressed at all. What you see on that show is Charlie being Charlie. That’s who he really is. He’s not even acting. He plays an alcoholic father figure to his nephew and he sits home all day watching porn and having sex. That’s Charlie Sheen. He has zero class.
What do you think makes Charlie that way?
Maybe he’s a sociopath. I don’t know. I honestly don’t think he would be the kind of guy he is today if it wasn’t for his daddy. No matter how good of an actor you can be, most people aren’t going to waste their time with you if you’re that much trouble, but this guy has a huge family history. I feel he’s handed everything and always forgiven because of his family and whom he is.
Do you think Charlie would make a good porn star?
I don’t know… it never got that far for me! Although, I’m sure a lot of people would watch it just to see him. Just like they would want to watch the Octomom in a porn video. It would be a freak show.
Would you make a porn video with Charlie if the money were right?
Never. Not for any amount of money. He’s ruined my life in so many ways. Charlie should be in jail. Anybody else who has done the things this man has done would be in jail. Let me tell you; if Charlie went to jail like he should have years ago, he’d still be in jail today and wouldn’t be getting out anytime soon. But he’s got money. Money, money, money makes the world go around. He’s got great lawyers and everybody thinks he’s so charming.
Can Charlie be saved?
I think anybody can be saved. I think if Charlie were removed from all the people around him and brought into a new group of strangers who are good and honest, he has a chance.
It seems he would rather die than do that.
That’s sad because it would mean he doesn’t care enough about the lives he brought into this world.
What would you like to say to Charlie if you had the opportunity?
If I were ever in contact with Charlie again, I would look him in the eye and say, “How dare you?”
And?
“How are your daughters doing today?”
See this interview including all photos at Steppin' Out Magazine.