child star Danny Pintauro reveals he has been HIV-positive for 12 years

Danny Pintauro starred as Jonathon Bower on popular 80s family sitcom .The 39-year-old was outed as gay when he was a college student in 1997.He revealed he was devastated to be diagnosed HIV-positive in March 2003 .At the time, he had been experimenting sexually and using crystal meth  .Now ready to talk about HIV, Pintauro urges other members of the gay community to take better care of themselves.

Former child star Danny Pintauro has revealed he is HIV-positive. Pintauro, who grew up in front of an audience as Jonathan Bower on popular 1980s sitcom Who’s The Boss?, told Oprah Winfrey that he has been living with the secret for 12 years. In an interview aired on Saturday night’s episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now?, he explained why he is finally ready to speak publicly about his health. 

Former Who's The Boss? child star Danny Pintauro (pictured) revealed he has been HIV-positive for 12 years

Pintauro, who prefers to be called Daniel now, told Oprah: ‘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.’

Pintauro revealed that he missed his chance to be a role model for youngsters in his situation when he was outed as gay when he was a college student in 1997.

He said it was Judith Light, who played his on-screen mother Angela on Who’s The Boss? from 1984 until 1992, who convinced him to speak to the press openly after a tabloid reporter approached him and said they would publish an article with or without his involvement.

‘They can’t misquote you, she said. And as long as you give really responsible and mature answers, it can’t be a bad article.

‘Believe it or not, the National Enquirer actually did a really fantastic, heart-warming article about it. I was shocked.’

But the 39-year-old added: ‘I missed the opportunity to be a beacon of light for gay kids who were going through what I was going through. ‘Cause I was outed. It wasn’t by choice.’

Now, he says, he is ready to speak about his diagnosis and wants other men in the gay community to ‘take better care’ of themselves .

‘It’s just a big deal, you know? It’s not something that people are really talking about right now.’

Pintauro revealed he had come out of a long-term relationship when he began experimenting sexually and ausing crystal meth when he caught the virus.

But he also tested for HIV every six months – and in March 2003, it came back positive.

‘I was living in New York at the time and completely clueless to the idea that I was positive.’

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