Leading a normal life as someone infected with HIV is extremely difficult due to the medical implications. Add to it the stigma and prejudice associated with the condition which further complicates the lives of those with HIV. However, being diagnosed as HIV positive need not be the end of the world as these celebrities with HIV have proved. Rock Hudson, a ‘heartthrob’ of the Hollywood Golden Age became the first prominent celebrity to die from AIDS-related complications and his death helped to shed light on the medical condition that was considered a taboo in the society and never publically discussed. Keith Christopher was another actor who despite his long struggle with AIDS was an active participant in the AIDS awareness movement. American tennis player Arthur Ashe who contracted HIV after a blood transfusion founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health before his untimely death. In the more recent times, social attitudes towards HIV and AIDS is changing and this has prompted HIV infected celebrities like Charlie Sheen, Magic Johnson, Viktor Luna, and Jerry Herman to openly disclose their condition in order to inspire other HIV patients. Check this section to know more about famous people who are/were known to have been infected with HIV virus.

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Birthdate: March 28, 1987

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Quincy, Illinois, United States

Jonathan Van Ness, better known as JVN, is a hairdresser, podcast host, and reality star. He gained fame as a grooming expert in the series Queer Eye. He also created the Funny or Die series Gay of Thrones, a parody of Game of Thrones. He is non-binary and HIV-positive.

 2 

Michael Jeter

(Actor)

Birthdate: August 26, 1952

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, USA

Died: March 30, 2003

Height: 5'4" (163 cm)

 3 

Greg Louganis

(The Only Man and the Second Diver in Olympic History to Sweep the Diving Events in Consecutive Olympic Games)

Birthdate: January 29, 1960

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: El Cajon, California, United States

Greg Louganis was born to high-school students and was raised by his adoptive parents. Before becoming a renowned diver, he had studied drama and excelled in dance and gymnastics. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is HIV-positive and an LGBT icon. His memoir, Breaking the Surface, was made into a TV movie.

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Birthdate: August 26, 1914

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Ixelles, Belgium

Died: February 12, 1984

Julio Cortázar was an Argentine novelist, essayist, and short story writer. Counted among the founders of a literary movement called the Latin American Boom, Cortázar is credited with influencing a generation of Spanish-speaking writers and readers in Europe and America. He is also regarded as one of the most innovative authors of his time.

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 5 

Holly Johnson

(Pop Singer and Lead Vocalist of the British New Wave Band 'Frankie Goes to Hollywood')

Birthdate: February 9, 1960

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Liverpool, England

Apart from being a successful new wave musician, as part of Big in Japan and Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Holly Johnson is also a talented painter, who has held exhibitions at venues such as Tate Liverpool. He also penned a memoir, after being diagnosed with HIV in the early 1990s.

 6 

Sylvester

(Singer-songwriter)

Birthdate: September 6, 1947

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Watts, California, United States

Died: December 16, 1988

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Birthdate: August 10, 1963

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Godstone

Andrew Sullivan is a British-American blogger, editor, and author. A political commentator, Sullivan has contributed immensely to several publications like The New Republic, where he was an editor. From 2016 to 2020, he also worked for New York magazine, where he was a writer-at-large. In 1996, Andrew Sullivan’s book Virtually Normal won the Mencken Award under Best Book category.

 8 

Alexis Arquette

(Actress best known to reality audiences as a member of the 2005 cast of MTV's The Surreal Life)

Birthdate: July 28, 1969

Sun Sign: Leo

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

Died: September 11, 2016

Height: 5'8" (173 cm)

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 9 

Lara Roxx

(First of the Three Known Pornographic Actresses To Contract HIV While Making A Pornographic Video)

Birthdate: June 5, 1982

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Laval, Quebec, Canada

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

 10 

Alexandra Billings

(Actress)

Birthdate: March 28, 1962

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Schaumburg, Illinois, USA

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

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 11 

Gene Anthony Ray

(Actor, Choreographer, Television actor)

Birthdate: May 24, 1962

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: New York City

Died: November 14, 2003

 12 

Larry Kramer

(Playwright)

Birthdate: June 25, 1935

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Bridgeport, Connecticut, USA

Birthdate: December 24, 1930

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Seattle

Died: March 25, 1988

 14 

Bruce Chatwin

(Writer)

Birthdate: May 13, 1940

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, UK

Died: January 18, 1989

Height: 6'0" (183 cm)

Birthdate: November 29, 1951

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States

Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

 16 

Rebekka Armstrong

(American Former Model and Bodybuilder)

Birthdate: February 20, 1967

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Ridgecrest, California, United States

Height: 5'7" (170 cm)

 17 

Michael A. Hess

(Lawyer)

Birthdate: July 5, 1952

Sun Sign: Cancer

Birthplace: Roscrea

Died: August 15, 1995

 18 

Félix González-Torres

(American Visual Artist Known for His Quiet, Minimal Installations and Sculptures)

Birthdate: November 26, 1957

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Guáimaro, Cuba

Died: January 9, 1996

Félix González-Torres was an American visual artist best remembered for his sculptures and minimal installations made out of everyday objects like lightbulbs, stacks of paper, clocks, and packaged hard candies. In 2010, his 1992 piece Untitled sold for $4.6 million at an auction. Félix González-Torres died at the age of 38 due to complications from AIDS.

 19 

Sean Sasser

(Chef)

Birthdate: October 25, 1968

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Birthplace: Detroit

Died: August 7, 2013

 20 

Max Robinson

(Broadcaster)

Birthdate: May 1, 1939

Sun Sign: Taurus

Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia, U.S.

Died: December 20, 1988

 21 

Ongina

(Reality Star)

Birthdate: January 6, 1982

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Birthplace: Siasi, Philippines

 22 

Mark Patton

(Actor)

Birthdate: September 22, 1959

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Kansas City, Missouri, United States

 23 

Gabriele Bertaccini

(Food Expert on the Netflix Series Say I Do)

Birthdate: December 16, 1985

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Florence, Italy

 24 

Billy Lyall

(Singer)

Birthdate: March 26, 1953

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Edinburgh

Died: December 1, 1989

 25 

Gottfried von Bismarck

(Noted for his dissolute lifestyle, and his homes were linked to two deaths from narcotics)

Birthdate: September 19, 1962

Sun Sign: Virgo

Birthplace: Uccle, Belgium

Died: June 29, 2007

 26 

Taina

(Model)

Birthdate: October 2, 1975

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: Image:Flag of Puerto Rico.svg 25px Río Piedras, Puerto Rico Río Piedras, Puerto Rico

Height: 5'2" (157 cm)

 27 

Renato Russo

(Singer and Songwriter, He was the lead singer of the alternative rock band Legião Urbana)

Birthdate: March 27, 1960

Sun Sign: Aries

Birthplace: Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

Died: October 11, 1996

Renato Russo was a Brazilian singer-songwriter. He is best remembered for his association with the band Legião Urbana where he was the lead singer. He came to be recognized as the most prominent songwriter of Brazilian rock. Renato Russo's adolescence and his discovery of his love for rock music inspired the 2013 biographical drama film, Somos Tão Jovens.

 28 

Charlotte Valandrey

(Actress)

Birthdate: November 29, 1968

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Birthplace: Paris, France

 29 

Alice Lakwena

(Priestess and rebel leader)

Birthdate: 1956 AD

Birthplace: Uganda

Died: January 17, 2007

Birthdate: June 5, 1940

Sun Sign: Gemini

Birthplace: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Died: December 9, 2004

David Brudnoy was a radio host whose show was aired on WBZ radio. Brudnoy was a respected figure as he was very knowledgeable about contemporary political issues which he discussed on his show in a courteous manner. Although he knew that he was gay throughout his life, Brudnoy came out publicly in 1994 when he was 54 years old. 

 31 

Marc Wallice

(Actor)

Birthdate: October 3, 1959

Sun Sign: Libra

Birthplace: USA

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

 32 

Darren James

(Actor)

Birthdate: February 25, 1964

Sun Sign: Pisces

Birthplace: Detroit, Michigan, USA

Height: 5'10" (178 cm)

 33 

Roger Montoya

(Former New Mexico State Representative and Former Gymnast)

Birthdate: February 3, 1961

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Birthplace: Denver, Colorado, United States

Politician Roger Montoya had begun training in gymnastics at age 7. He was a talented painter, too, and later also studied dance. A gay man, he also appeared in a couple of gay porn films and was later diagnosed with HIV. He has also invested in educational and charitable initiatives.