Billy Porter HIV Positive For 14 Years Following 2 Major Life Disasters— Actor Makes More Heartbreaking Revelations
Tony award-winning actor Billy Porter speaks his truth and opens up about his HIV status that he's been hiding publicly for more than a decade.
The "POSE" actor reveals that he's been living with HIV for the past 14 years.
In an as-told-to story by Hollywood Life he told his coming out story and the inspiration for him to tell the truth.
It all started in 2007 which Porter described as "the worst year of his life", he was first diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes February that year, he then signed his bankruptcy papers by March, then June came when he was diagnosed as HIV-positive.
The actor said that he had been getting tested every six months before the positive diagnosis.
He described that he's ashamed to speak his truth and his diagnosis silenced him because he grew up in a very religious family "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. HIV-positive, where I come from, growing up in the Pentecostal church with a very religious family, is God's punishment." the actor stated.
Although the actor didn't publicly reveal his status until today, he said that during the time he was diagnosed "everybody who needed to know, knew" except his mother but he then got the courage to tell his mom the truth.
The "Kinky Boots" actor originally planned to publicly reveal his diagnosis when his mother passes away but he managed to finally tell his mom when he called after the last day of shooting of "POSE" which his mother responded "Don't ever do this again. I'm your mother, I love you no matter what."
He then also told his "POSE" co-actors and crew because "the truth is the responsible road. The truth is the healing" he said.
The actor then concluded his interview by stating "This is for me. I'm doing this for me. I have too much sh*t to do, and I don't have any fear about it anymore. I told my mother - that was the hurdle for me. I don't care what anyone has to say. You're either with me or simply move out of the way."
Porter is popularly known for his role in the broadway musical "Kinky Boots" where he won a Tony award for best lead actor. He is also known by his character named Pray Tell in the FX series "POSE"
"POSE" is a TV series that is set in the 80s-90s and focuses on the underground ballroom scene when the world was against the queer community, it also shines a light on the daily struggles of queer, trans, and people of color.
His character Pray Tell is also diagnosed as HIV-positive on the show which he said he's been using as his proxy and to say everything that he wanted through a "surrogate".
