‘DON’T HAVE ANY FEAR’

Billy Porter Reveals He’s Been Living With HIV for the Past 14 Years

In an extraordinary article, the “Pose” star writes about why he’s kept his diagnosis secret, and why now was the right time to speak up.

Billy Porter has spoken out for the first time about the HIV-positive diagnosis that he received nearly 14 years ago. The Pose star, 51, broke his silence with an extraordinary tell-all about his experiences in The Hollywood Reporter. He said that only a tiny circle of people close to him have known about his diagnosis—and that the role of Pray Tell, his HIV-positive character on Pose, has helped him deal with the situation. He wrote: “Having lived through the plague, my question was always, ‘Why was I spared? Why am I living?’ Well, I’m living so that I can tell the story... I can be who I am in this space, at this time, because of the legacy that they left for me. So it’s time to put my big boy pants on and talk.” In his conclusion, he wrote the defiant message: “I have too much shit to do, and I don’t have any fear about it anymore... I don’t care what anyone has to say. You’re either with me or simply move out of the way.”