BEVERLY HILLS, May 20, (THEWILL) – US actor and singer, Billy Porter, has opened up concerning his HIV status saying that he had been living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) for 14 years.
The film star, who won an Emmy in 2019 for his role as Pray Tell, an HIV-positive character on the FX series “Pose,” disclosed this in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
He stated that his life was a mess in 2007 after he was hit by Type II diabetes, filed for bankruptcy, and was diagnosed with HIV.
“The shame of that time compounded with the shame that had already (accumulated) in my life silenced me, and I have lived with that shame in silence for 14 years,” he said. “HIV-positive, where I come from, growing up in the Pentecostal church with a very religious family, is God’s punishment.”
He stated that he used his character on “Pose” as a “surrogate” for his status but the pandemic made him to pause and process his feelings.
He disclosed that medical advances helped him attain undetectable levels of the virus in his system.
He said: “This is what HIV-positive looks like now. I survived so that I could tell the story. That’s what I’m here for.
“I’m the vessel, and emotionally that was sufficient until it wasn’t.
“It’s time to grow up and move on because shame is destructive — and if not dealt with, it can destroy everything in its path.”
About the Author
