Ever since Dick Donato left Big Brother season 13 early, fans have dogged him for answers. He’s coming forward with the devastating news that he is HIV positive.
In an upcoming episode of Couples Therapy Dick Donato will talk about the real reason he left Big Brother season 13 early. But he also shared the struggle with People prior to the episodes airing.
Fans may recall that Dick was called in the Diary Room on Big Brother season 13 and never came back. Later, producers gave a note to read to the rest of the cast. It revealed that Dick was leaving for personal matters and left it at that.
Dick reveals what went on behind the scenes, “They had done two HIV tests. One had come back positive and the other had come back negative.” He then had another blood test for confirmation, which came back positive. “When they told me, I just went numb.”
From there he says that he left CBS and went straight to his mothers house. That’s where he first broke the news to his family. Next, he told his long time girlfriend who also got tested but came back negative.
Years later, Dick still isn’t sure how he got the disease. “People are afraid to come forward because they’re afraid of the stigma of HIV,” Dick explains. “I’m not gay and I’ve never stuck a needle in my arm, but at this point, it doesn’t matter. We create a stigma around the disease that makes it hard for people to publicly say they have it.”
Why come out with the truth now? Dick says that he doesn’t want to hide the truth anymore. For years he was worried someone would leak the information. But Dick is also hoping that his coming out will bring more awareness to the disease.
“I hope it will remind viewers to get tested, practice safe sex, all those things we know in the back of our minds but maybe don’t do,” says Dick. “After I told everyone on Couples Therapy, I had two production people pull me aside and say that they had gotten tested. I feel like I can do some good.”
Watch a sneak peek of Dick’s admission on Couples Therapy:
