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Danny Pintauro Reveals to Oprah Winfrey He’s Been HIV Positive for 12 Years, Who’s the Boss? Star Wants to Be an Activist

Danny Pintauro
Danny Pintauro appeared on Oprah: Where Are They Now? where he revealed that he's been HIV positive for 12 years.

A 12-year secret revealed. Who’s the Boss? star Danny Pintauro got extremely candid in his Saturday, Sept. 26 interview with Oprah Winfrey on the show Oprah: Where Are They Now?

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrity activists

After previously released clips of the show featured Pintauro, 39, talking about his crystal meth use and how he was forced to come out as gay in 1997 after the National Enquirer threatened him, the show itself saved the biggest bombshell for last. 

Danny Pintauro
Danny Pintauro on Who’s the Boss?

Related: PHOTOS: Gay celebs' coming out stories

“I wanted to tell you this a long time ago, but I wasn’t ready — I’m ready now — that I’m HIV positive, and I have been for 12 years,” Pintauro told Winfrey. “It’s just a big deal. It’s not something that people are talking about right now really.”

Last meal as a nobody. 😉 first meal as an activist. #lifelovelive

A photo posted by Danny Pintauro (@dannypintauro) on Sep 26, 2015 at 6:11pm PDT

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But Pintauro wants to change that, expressing his desire to be an activist for the LGBT community. He noted that he already “missed the opportunity to be a beacon of light for gay kids who were going through what I was going through because I was outed.”

And he also revealed that when he was diagnosed as being HIV positive that he felt a surprising calm. 

Related: PHOTOS: Hollywood's gay power couples

“It’s backwards. You’ve spent so much time terrified that you’re going to get it, and then you have it,” he explained. “You don’t have to be terrified anymore.”

As the previously taped interview was airing, Pintauro posted a photo with his husband of one year, Wil Tabares, on Instagram, writing, “Last meal as a nobody. 😉 first meal as an activist. #lifelovelive.”

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