Billy Porter feels like ‘a free man’ after revealing his HIV positive diagnosis

Billy Porter appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” Thursday, where he discussed his recently revealed HIV positive status. Going public with his diagnosis has been emotionally freeing for the Emmy winning actor.

“I lived with the shame of it for a really long time and last week, I released that shame,” Porter said. “I released that trauma and I am a free man, honey.”

The Emmy winning actor and fashion icon won over viewers with his brave and candid conversation about shame. But more importantly, his admission and releasing of that shame brought him joy.

“I've never felt joy like this before,” he said. “And you know, we talk about it in the Black church you know, this joy that I have -- the world didn't give it and the world can't take it away. I got it, I got some joy now.”