No more shame: Billy Porter breaks silence on HIV status

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. Porter plays Pray Tell on the FX series, now in its final season. His character is HIV-positive like himself. 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.