There’s a reason I’m not a fan of direct-messaging via Twitter. The option to send a private tweet to a friend or follower appears much too similar to actually tweeting for my comfort, which is why I prefer the old-fashioned email method for correspondence in most cases. Charlie Sheen may not have agreed with me before but he might now as the actor/mega-celebrity made a major Twitter mistake that resulted in what sounds like a bit of an inconvenience.

According to E! Online, last Thursday, Sheen intended to send a direct message via Twitter to fellow mega-celeb Justin Bieber. The brief message included his phone number with “Call me, bro. C.” Instead of direct-messaging it, he tweeted it publicly, putting the number out there for his millions of followers, and anyone else who read the retweets that likely ensued. The result of this was naturally a flood of phone calls and 1800 text messages. Hope he’s on an unlimited plan.

The NY Post stated that Sheen was out at a restaurant when he made the mistake and there were witnesses to what followed:

A spy at the restaurant told us: “Charlie’s phone immediately went into meltdown. It was ringing wildly, and he got 1,800 text messages in minutes. Charlie saw the funny side and answered the phone a few times, saying things like ‘Ray’s Pizza’ and ‘Winning.’

So, it would seem there were fans out there who got a little something for taking Sheen’s tweet literally and giving him a ring.

Obviously, Sheen has since changed his phone number.

This does raise an interestingly random topic. Is this how celebrities get in touch with one another these days? No more “Have your people call my people,” just a quick Tweet with a phone number instead of the formalities? And does anyone want to theorize why Sheen might want to get in touch with Justin Bieber?