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US actor admits he's been HIV+ for 12 years

Danny Pintauro said  he got infected with the HIV virus during a wild period when he was experimenting sexually and doing crystal meth. He was "terrified" of catching the virus and obviously extremely upset when he found out he had it.

Danny Pintauro

Hollywood actor Danny Pintauro has revealed he is HIV-positive and has been for 12 years.

The former 'Who's the Boss' child star confessed his deepest secret in an emotional interview with Oprah Winfrey over the weekend.

Pintauro, who played Jonathan Bower on the popular '80s sitcom said he has been living with the sad truth for over a decade, but he couldn't bring himself to come clean with the news — until now.

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"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," he said.

Pintauro, who these days likes to be called Daniel, said his TV mom Angela (played by Judith Light) convinced him to speak about his sexual orientation and his health after a reporter threatened to do a story on him with or without his input.

The 39-year-old ex-actor is talking about his diagnosis because he wants gay men "to take better care" of themselves, he told Oprah. He said  he got infected with the HIV virus during a wild period when he was experimenting sexually and doing crystal meth. He was "terrified" of catching the virus and obviously extremely upset when he found out he had it.

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"There’s this awful feeling of, 'I'm never going to be able to have a good relationship, no one's ever gonna want me," he said in the interview. He has since gotten married to a man named Wil Tabares and works as a manager in a restaurant in Las Vegas.

We applaud Daniel for the bravery it took to share his secret and wish him well!

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