November 19, 2015
Olympian Louganis & TV Star Pintauro Laud Sheen for HIV Announcement
READ TIME: 3 MIN.
Two major HIV-positive celebrities are lauding Charlie Sheen for revealing his HIV status this week.
Olympic diver Greg Louganis, who has been HIV-positive for 27 years, watched Tuesday when the "Two and a Half Men" star told Matt Lauer on the "Today" show he has HIV.
"This is such a wonderful, teachable moment because we have gotten complacent about HIV-AIDS," Louganis, 55, told Entertainment Tonight, according to Gay Star News.
He added: "I'm most concerned for him because I suffered from depression and was treated for it. Those are issues that can really inhibit your health and well-being. You realize, 'You know what? This is just a part of my life and as long as I take care of myself then I can be here for a long time.' "
He said if he ever meets Sheen, the first thing he would do is hug him and say, "I'm here."
The Olympic gold-winning medalist revealed his HIV status in 1995 when releasing his autobiography "Breaking the Surface." Louganis was diagnosed in 1988 -- a time when the disease was a death sentence. Nevertheless, the athlete kept his status a secret and competed in his third Olympics, winning his third and fourth gold medals for the U.S.
Louganis isn't the only HIV-positive celeb to offer support to Sheen. Former child star Danny Pintauro, who was on the 80s sitcom "Who's the Boss?," also lauded Sheen for his announcement.
"This morning while I watched Charlie speak with Matt Lauer, my heart was racing," he told US Weekly. "I have been there and I know that feeling. The sheer terror followed by sudden relief is powerful and life changing."
Pintauro, 39, added: "To have Matt read those supportive tweets must have instantly affirmed to Charlie that he had made the right decision by sharing his truth.
"It took me 12 years to get to a place where I was ready to tell the world, but in all of that time I worried that someone else would want to tell my story without my permission, which is why I decided it was time to take control of my story and sit down with Oprah.
"I commend Charlie for realizing it was time to take control of his story."
Pinatuaro, 39, revealed his HIV status to Oprah in September and said he wants to stop the stigma surrounding the disease but hopes Sheen's announcement will change that.
"The effect stigma has on HIV has never been clearer - as Charlie's story indicates, people will go to great lengths to keep others from knowing their status," the actor continued. "There are currently 1.2 million people living with HIV in the U.S. Sadly too many are afraid to share their status even with those closest to them. How many people are so terrified of the stigma surrounding "those three letters" that they can't even bring themselves to get tested in the first place?
"I believe we are on the verge of changing the way people look at HIV and I couldn't be more fired up to do my part to affect that change," the TV star added.
When speaking to Lauer, Sheen said he was diagnosed with HIV four years ago and has paid millions of dollars to women who threatened to go public with his status.
