Dear Gossips,

Today is June 1 – it’s the beginning of Pride Month!

So let’s celebrate Billy Porter and here he is last week in New York visiting The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in an outfit that is just about as low-key as it gets where Billy is concerned. On the show though… I mean… of course there was an outfit change. And fashion was the first thing that was referenced because, as he said, Jimmy loves his fashion. He had a description for his styling for this appearance and, well, he can say it because I can’t:

Billy was on The Tonight Show to talk about his recent Hollywood Reporter cover where he revealed that he’s been HIV-positive since 2007. As you know, the disclosure itself is groundbreaking – but Billy continues to push forward. Because not only is he talking about his diagnosis in a magazine, he’s doing the talk show circuit to promote the fact that he’s talking about his diagnosis in a magazine! So when Billy declares that he’s here to play his part in de-stigmatising the experience for those like him who are living with HIV/AIDS, he f-cking means it.

And for Billy, which he shares with Jimmy, this is not traumatic. Of course there’s been pain, of course there’s been struggle, but the message he wants to underline is that he’s released himself from shame, that he is feeling JOY. Joy + busy-ness.

Billy is busy. Billy is working on music, he’s prepping an album, and his memoir, Unprotected, is also coming out in the fall which is also what he premiered on The Tonight Show. And in the fall he’ll be starring in the new live action Cinderella movie as … what else?... the Fairy Godparent, Fab G.

Billy is booked! Billy is busy! Billy’s life is full and fulfilling. For more on Billy Porter’s Unprotected and to pre-order, click here.

Yours in gossip,

Lainey

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