Danny Pintauro Shares His HIV Status With Oprah

Former child star Danny Pintauro, 39, played Jonathan on the sitcom Who's the Boss? -- that starred Tony Danza and Judith Light -- and was a guest on the Saturday episode of Oprah: Where Are They Now?, in which he discussed his previous crystal meth addiction and the fact that he is HIV positive.

"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. It's just a big deal. It's not something that people are talking about right now really."

Pintauro came out publicly in the media in 1997, explaining that he was forced to because of a tabloid reporter, adding: "I 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 -- it wasn't by choice."

As he explains on the episode, he had sex while high with a man who didn't disclose his status:

"I was doing crystal meth, which completely ruins your immune system. Crystal meth takes away your inhibitions. You have no limits. I know exactly when it happened. I truly thought I was being safe, and obviously, I wasn't."

Since quitting acting, Pintauro has been living in Las Vegas and married his husband Wil Tabares in 2014. He says that after his diagnosis, "there was a sense of relief," adding: "You've spent so much time terrified that you're going to get it, and then you have it, and you don't have to be terrified anymore."

He hopes that he can now dedicate himself to educating people about HIV, safer sex, and addiction.

Watch a clip from the episode below: