Danny Pintauro, who starred in the TV show ‘Who’s the Boss’ and the film ‘Cujo’ has revealed that he is HIV positive, having being diagnosed twelve years ago.
Pintauro was appearing on Oprah’s ‘Where Are they Now’ series and spoke openly about his battle with meth-amphetamines. Pintauro said more gay men should be aware of the dangers of risking drugs and sex .
“I am speaking out because I want everyone who continues to ‘tweak’ and party to know that it is not worth the price,” Pintauro said. “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.”
The actor said it was clear that when people are influenced by drugs they do make good decision about safe sex and using protection. While the actor said he had always practiced safe sex and performed condom checks the drug had damaged his immune system.
Pintauro said people taking meth were more likely to put themselves in situation where their chance of becoming HIV positive increased.
“The meth forces you to lose your inhibitions, so of course you’re going to say, ‘Oh, I don’t need to use a condom,’ or, ‘I’ll be fine this time’ because you’re lost in it. It’s no good, no good.”
The actor first came to attention when he appeared in the film ‘Cujo’, he was then cast in the sitcom ‘Who’s the Boss’.
The show focused on a former baseball player, played by Tony Danza, who takes a job as a live-in housekeeper for an advertising executive played by Judith Light.
Pintauro played Light’s son, while Alyssa Milano played Danza’s daughter. The show which ran from 1984 to 1992.
Pintauro came out in 1997 in an interview with The National Enquirer. Since then he has written a column for a US LGBTIQ publication and continued his acting career. Pintauro married his partner in 2014.
Actress Judith Light, who played Pintauro’s mother on ‘Who’s the Boss’ had shown her support for her former co-star.
“I’m so proud of him” Light said during an appearance on the TV show ‘Good Day New York‘
“He’s talking about being HIV positive,” Light said. “He is being incredibly proactive. He now has a wonderful husband named Wil.
“He’s giving a different face to what is still a disease that has not been handled.”
In a follow up interview with ‘Entertainment Tonigh’t Pintauro said he had shared his status with his former cast mates Light and Danza many years ago. Pintauro said both has been supportive but Danza was clearly disappointed that the actor had become involved with drugs.
“Tony was great,” Pintauro said. “But I can tell he was a little disappointed for the drugs part more than anything.”
Pintauro has used the revelation to draw attention to the need for more education about drug use and HIVby posting links to resources on his Twitter account.
