Prince William and Prince Harry support rugby star Gareth Thomas over HIV status
Prince Harry and Prince William shared kind messages of support on Instagram today after rugby star Gareth Thomas made his HIV status public.
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Prince Harry and Prince William have thrown their support behind retired Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas after he went public with his HIV positive status.
Thomas, 45, who played rugby for Wales and British Lions, went public with the diagnosis on Sunday, revealing he’d been threatened with blackmail over the news.
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He also said the diagnosis left him wanting to “drive off a cliff”.
To show his support, Prince Harry, 35, penned a message to Thomas on his Instagram account @sussexroyal, telling the sports star he’s an “absolute legend”.
“Gareth, you are an absolute legend!,” the post began.
“In sharing your story of being HIV+, you are saving lives and shattering stigma, by showing you can be strong and resilient while living with HIV. We should all be appalled by the way you were forced to speak your truth, it is yours and yours alone to share on your terms and I and millions stand with you.”
He also shared Thomas’ full video statement.
And over on the @kensingtonroyal account, Prince William, 37, echoed the sentiment, also sharing the footballer’s video announcement with the caption: “Courageous as ever — legend on the pitch and legend off it. You have our support Gareth.”
In the emotional video shared on Twitter, Thomas told followers he had been pressured into telling his secret to the world after cruel blackmail attempts.
“Hello, I’m Gareth Thomas and I want to share my secret with you,” he began with tears in his eyes.
“Why? Because it’s mine to tell you. Not the evils that make my life hell, threatening to tell you before I do. And because I believe in you, and I trust you.”
“I am living with HIV,” he said, going on to call for support to educate others and break stigma surrounding the virus.
— Gareth Thomas (@gareththomas14) September 14, 2019
The Celebrity Big Brother star, who came out as gay in December 2009, spoke about the decision to share his secret with The Sunday Mirror, sharing that the diagnosis left him suicidal.
“I’ve been living with this secret for years. I’ve felt shame and keeping such a big secret has taken its toll,” he told the publication.
“I had a fear people would judge me and treat me like a leper because of a lack of knowledge. I was in a dark place, feeling suicidal. I thought about driving off a cliff.
“To me, wanting to die was just a natural thought and felt like the easier way out, but you have to confront things. And having a strong support system and the personal strength and experience of overcoming those emotions got me through it.
“Many people live in fear and shame of having HIV, but I refuse to be one of them now. We need to break the stigma once and for all.
“I’m speaking out because I want to help others and make a difference.”
He found out he was HIV positive after a routine sexual health test at a clinic in Cardiff.
Originally published as Prince William and Prince Harry support rugby star Gareth Thomas over HIV status
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