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Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness Praised As He Reveals He's HIV Positive
23 September 2019, 10:56 | Updated: 23 September 2019, 13:35
Jonathon Van Ness has revealed he is living with HIV as is being praised for joining the fight to end the stigma surrounding it.
Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness has opened up about living with HIV whilst discussing his upcoming memoir, Over the Top, and revealed he's had nightmares about opening up to the public, recounting the 'devastating' day he discovered his diagnosis.
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Jonathan, 32, spoke to The Observer about his book that reveals his struggle with drug and sex addiction, and details the day he collapsed in the salon he worked in, only to discover his HIV positive status.
He told another publication: "I've had nightmares every night for the past three months because I'm scared to be this vulnerable with people... there are issues that need to be talked about."
The hairdresser turned TV star is using the opportunity to go public to help fight the stigma surrounding HIV.
He said: "Part of that for me is to process what’s happened, but the bigger part is that I wanted to do something to move the conversation forward in a meaningful way around HIV/Aids, and what it is to live with HIV, and to humanise and normalise a lot of the things I talk about."
Fortunately for JVN, and many others with the same diagnosis, medicine has advanced to a point the autoimmune disease can be managed and people with it will live a virtually normal and healthy life.
Jonathan revealed his doctor told him "I will keep you alive long enough to die of a heart attack or cancer like everyone else" when he asked if he would 'live until he was 75'.
Fans, his fellow Queer Eye co-stars, and friends have flooded him with messages of support, love, and praise for opening himself up to the world and working to end the stigma of the 'beautiful HIV positive community'.
.@jvn: “These are all difficult subjects to talk about on a makeover show about hair and makeup. That doesn’t mean Queer Eye is less valid, but I want people to realize you’re never too broken to be fixed.” Wrote down that last bit as a reminder to myself. https://t.co/HekiDNPpM1
— Marina Fang (@marinafang) September 21, 2019
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