Billy Porter on the cover of the latest issue of The Hollywood Reporter. (Photo from TheHollywoodReporter.com)
After being diagnosed over 14 years ago, “Pose” star, Billy Porter, has revealed he is HIV-positive.
In an in-depth interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 51-year-old reflected on the year when he was first diagnosed and how it was “the worst year of his life.” Earlier that year he was diagnosed with Type II diabetes and had signed papers to file for bankruptcy.
“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,” Porter told the publication. “HIV-positive, where I come from, growing up in the Pentecostal church with a very religious family, is God’s punishment.”
Porter won an Emmy Award for the role of Pray Tell on the show “Pose,” a character who is also HIV-positive. He said it served as a “surrogate” for his status and helped him come to terms with his own struggles. After living through isolation in thepandemic with his husband, Adam Smith, he said it helped him to reflect on his secret and process the emotions.
Back in 2020, the award-winning actor appeared at the AIDS 2020 virtual event in partnership with +Life where he spoke on how he first learned about HIV and how Covid-19 mirrors HIV. +Life Media is dedicated to eliminating the stigma behind HIV.
Upon the news that the actor is HIV-positive himself, they reflected on his bravery and inspiration.
“Billy Porter’s decision to share his story about living with HIV is immeasurably important. His bravery advances the conversation, moving one step closer to eliminating the stigma related to the disease and informing about the facts such as undetectable equals untransmittable,” Karl Schmid, +Life co-founder, said in a statement. “Most impactfully, Billy is deeply inspirational in showing how one can live a full and rewarding life after a positive diagnosis.”
“My truth. In my time,” Porter tweeted May 19 with a link to The Hollywood Reporter story.
My truth. In my time. Thank you @THR. https://t.co/QWLe8jfdrc
— Billy Porter (@theebillyporter) May 19, 2021
According to Porter, medical advances have allowed him to have the virus in his system be at undetectable levels. After 14 years, Porter said he is glad he is able to tell his story his way.
“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,” he said. “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.”
When Porter first found out about his positive diagnosis back in 2007, he only told the people that “needed to know,” he said. The actor didn’t, however, tell his mother.
Porter said he felt sorry for her after she faced so much persecution from her religious community that he did not want to live through the “I told you so’s.”
“She said, ‘You’ve been carrying this around for 14 years? Don’t ever do this again. I’m your mother, I love you no matter what. And I know I didn’t understand how to do that early on, but it’s been decades now,’” Porter said.
The actor says he is now the “healthiest I’ve ever been,” and fears nothing anymore. “You’re either with me or simply move out of the way.”
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