Billy Porter reveals that he has been HIV-infected for 14 years.
51-year-old star Billy Porter confessed to being HIV-infected for 14 years. He said he found out in 2007, which was the worst year of his life.
Billy Porter infected with HIV
Porter is best known for his role as Pray Tell, a singer in the LGBQT community series set between the 1980s and 1990s.
He said that in February 2007 he had discovered that he had type 2 diabetes. But only after a few months, in June, he discovered that he had HIV. He reveals that he experienced this disease in total silence and shame, along with the one he had accumulated throughout his life.
Porter thought the illness was God’s punishment, since his family was very religious. He said he confided in very few people. That’s because he feared that this news would have a negative effect on his career. However, the Covid-19 pandemic crisis led Porter to reflect so much that he felt the need to reveal everything.
So, on the day of filming the last episode of the show, he confessed to his mother.
The star says black people in this world have to be perfect, otherwise they’re not accepted by society. He, however, went against this convention, and this raises him more. He explained that because of the drugs he has to take, he is forced to go to the doctor very often. But because of that, he’s aware of his condition, and he’s fine.
