20 Celebs Who Suffered From HIV / AIDS
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According to the World Health Organization, 36 million people have died from AIDS since the first cases were reported in 1981. On this list, there are countless celebs who suffered from the deadly disease for different reasons. Here are several celebs who suffered from or suffer from HIV/AIDS.
No. 20 Brad Davis
Known for his role in ‘Midnight Express,’ Davis was diagnosed in 1985 with HIV. He then purposefully overdosed in 1991.
No. 19 Timothy Patrick Murphy
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An original cast member of ‘Dallas,’ Murphy died of AIDS related issues in 1988.
No. 18 Kevin Peter Hall
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The actor who played ‘Predator’ contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion. He suffered from pneumonia from the disease when he eventually passed.
No. 17 Tim Richmond
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NASCAR driver Tim Richmond passed in 1984 from complications with AIDS. No one knew until 10 days after his death when his family released a statement.
No. 16 Magic Johnson
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In 1991, Magic Johnson announced that he was HIV positive and retired from the NBA. He’s not sure who exactly gave him the disease, but did acknowledge having multiple se’xual partners throughout his NBA career.He is still alive though.
No. 15 Freddie Mercury
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Around his 41st birthday, Freddie Mercury tested positive for HIV. Mercury did not announce he had AIDS until he was 45 years old. Just 24 hours after he issued a statement confirming the disease, he died. The cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.
No. 14 Rick Wilson
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Ricky Wilson, an openly g’ay guitarist for the B-52’s, died at the age of 31 due to complications with AIDS in 1985.
No. 13 Rock Hudson
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Hudson was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984. It has been speculated that Hudson may have contracted HIV through transfused blood, which came from an infected donor during one of many blood transfusions he received during his heart bypass. In 1985, Hudson died in his sleep from AIDS-related complications.
No. 12 Michael Jeter
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You may recognize Mr. Jeter for his role in the film ‘The Green Mile.’ Jeter died at just 50 years old from an epileptic seizure, and his HIV condition was not thought to have played a role in his death.
No. 11 Dack Rambo
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‘Dallas’ star Dack Rambo revealed that he was a bisexual man with AIDS in 1991. Just three years later, in 1994, Rambo died at the age of 52 due to complications from AIDS.
No. 10 Liberace
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How and when famed musician Liberace contracted AIDS has never been released to the public. In fact, to this day, his management and close friends deny that the musician actually suffered from the disease.
No. 9 Eric “Eazy-E” Wright
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Rap icon and co-founder of the influential group N.W.A. was diagnosed with AIDS in 1995. Just one month after his diagnosis, Easy-E died due to complications from AIDS. He was only 31 years old. Easy-E’s se’xual partners likely played a role in the disease — he had seven children with six different women.
No. 8 Keith Haring
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You may not recognize him by name, but you will certainly recognize him by his unique artwork. Haring was diagnosed with AIDS in 1988 and spent the rest of his life raising AIDS awareness. Haring was openly gay and contracted AIDS through se’x. In 1990, at the age of 31, Haring died due to complications from AIDS.
No. 7 Arthur Ashe
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Grand Slam winner Arthur Ashe was believed to have contracted HIV during a blood transfusion that he received during heart bypass surgery in the early ’80s. When Ashe was 49 years old, he passed away from AIDS-related pneumonia.
No. 6 Anthony Perkins
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Anthony Perkins was best known for his role in the film ‘Psycho.’ Just two years after he was diagnosed with AIDS, Perkins died from AIDS-related complications. He was 60 years old.
No. 5 Robert Reed
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Are you surprised that wholesome TV father Mike Brady suffered from AIDS? Reed only shared the fact that he had AIDS with a few of his close friends. Though Reed ultimately died from cancer, his doctor listed his HIV positive status as a “significant condition that contributed to death.”
No. 4 Gia Carangi
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Carangi was a world-famous fashion model in the ’70s and ’80s. At just 26 years old, Gia was diagnosed with AIDS and died of a related illness in 1986. Carangi suffered from heroin addiction for the last few years of her life.
No. 3 Pedro Zamora
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Pedro was one of the first openly ga’y TV personalities during his time on ‘The Real World: San Francisco.’ Just a few months after wrapping up his season on ‘The Real World,’ Zamora was hospitalized with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. He was 22 years old when he died.
No. 2 Tony Richardson
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Richardson was married to actress Vanessa Redgrave for five years. Richardson eventually died from AIDS-related causes at age 63. He was father to Joely Richardson and the late Natasha Richardson.
No. 1 Isaac Asimov
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Asimov is best known for his popular sci-fi books. Isaac contracted HIV from a blood transfusion during heart bypass surgery. In 1992, Asimov died from AIDS, though it was not revealed that AIDS was the true cause of death until 10 years later.
