Former child actor and star of “Who’s the Boss,” Danny Pintauro and his husband Wil Tabares. Photo: Instagram.
In an interview that aired this weekend on “Oprah: Where are They Now?”, “Who’s the Boss?” star Danny Pintauro revealed that he is HIV positive and has been since 2003.
Pintauro who is now 39 came out as a gay man in 1997 after being blackmailed by a paparazzi who told him he would be ousted with or without his consent.
Pintauro told Winfrey, “I wanted to tell you this a long time ago, but I wasn’t ready, I’m ready now. I’m HIV-positive and I have been for 12 years.” Along with this news, the star revealed his own experiences of mixing sex and crystal meth as a way to hopefully raise awareness for the gay community.
Pintauro told People.com, “I am speaking out because I want everyone who continues to ‘tweak’ and party to know that it is not worth the price. I want my community to wake up, stop being complacent and start taking care of each other. We need to be the best we can – safe and healthy.”
Pintauro’s reason for not sharing sooner was that he wasn’t sure people was ready for a conversation that was at this magnitude. He found out after a routine HIV testing every six months in March of 2003.
As of today, Pintauro now lives with his husband Wil Tabares and works as a restaurant manager in Las Vegas. Pintauro says, “What I want my community to realize is we need to take better care of ourselves.”
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