NEW YORK (AP) — Billy Porter has broken his silence over his HIV diagnosis, saying he no longer wants to live under a cloud of shame.
The "Pose" star said in an interview published Wednesday in The Hollywood Reporter that he told nearly no one for 14 years, fearing retaliation and marginalization in his industry.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that was published Wednesday, Porter said he hopes now he "can experience real, unadulterated joy, so that I can experience peace, so that I can experience intimacy, so that I can have sex without shame."
Porter plays Pray Tell on the FX series, now in its final season.
His character is HIV-positive like himself.
Porter said the pandemic led him to reflect on his secret and now he's the healthiest he's ever been.
Porter said telling his mother was the most difficult, but she is standing with him.
He called the truth "healing" and hopes revealing his secret will set him free.
