A screen grab shows former child star of "Who's The Boss" Danny Pintauro on Oprah's "Where Are They Now" segment (Photo : YouTube/Entertainment Tonight)
Former "Who's The Boss" child star Danny Pintauro, who played the character of Jonathon Bower, recently revealed that he has been battling with HIV for more than 10 years.
During talk show host Oprah Winfrey's "Where Are They Now?" segment, Pintauro revealed over the weekend, that he has finally come to terms with his condition, and was ready to speak about it publicly.
Further, the star said the reason he was going public with his condition was to use the opportunity to warn those in the gay community to take care of their health.
The former child actor admitted that he is gay in 1997, while he was a college student, the Daily Mail reported. Pintauro said that he missed his chance to be a role model for other young people who faced the same situation while at college.
Judith Light, who played the role of Pintauro's onscreen mother Angela in the sitcom, encouraged him to speak openly to the press about his sexuality.
The "As The World Turns," actor was cornered by a tabloid reporter who threatened to publish an article outing Pinatauro as being gay with or without his consent. The "Law And Order" actress Light advised Pintauro that he could not be misquoted by the press as long as his responses were "responsible and mature."
In 2003, during a routine health checkup Pintauro's results came back positive for HIV, CNN reported. In addition, Pintauro revealed that while he had been experimenting sexually he had also been using crystal meth, admitting while the drug removes emotional inhibitions; it lowers an individual's immune system.
The diagnosis has not necessary meant a "death sentence" for the actor and in 2014 he married his partner Wil Tabares.The couple now lives in Las Vegas, while Pintauros is a manager of a restaurant.
