Yep! Celebrities and famous people have herpes too...
It is a common misconception for people to think that celebrities and "famous personalities" are immune to the perils of life like the rest of us. Not true, celebrities are human beings too and are just as vulnerable as you and me.
Any sexually active person is capable of catching (and spreading) an STD. This is actually one of the scary things about Herpes and STDs - the fact that anyone can become infected.
When a person's private and personal life becomes a public affair the world get's a small glimpse of how celebrities can and 'do' have herpes too.
Take the case of Liza Minnelli and husband, David Gest. Their bitter divorce battle has escalated to Gest claiming that Minnelli had genital herpes and did not tell him about it until after they were married.
News articles:
Liza Minnelli is not the first celebrity to be outted by a resentful ex-partner. In 1986, Robin Williams was sued for $6.2 million by an ex-girlfriend who claimed he infected her with herpes.
News Articles:
- A NY Times article highlighting the Court Case
- Suing a Partner for Infecting you with Genital Herpes
Similarly, sports personality Michael Vick (Atlanta Falcons quarterback) settled out of court after being accused of not disclosing his herpes condition to his partner.
News Article: Settlement reached in Michael Vick herpes case
Many other celebrities have been at the firing end of herpes law suit allegations including Singer Tony Bennett [Article] and David Hasselhoff [Article].
Forum Discussion Topic: Paris Hilton MIGHT have herpes
Not all celebrities with herpes have been at the brunt of accusations and gossip, some have come out publicly with the fact that they have herpes - a brave plight that is appreciated by all those affected by the Herpes simplex virus (HSV).
Ann Heche wrote a poignant autobiography in 2001, revealing that she has had genital herpes since childhood after being molested by her father at a young age.
Review of Ann Heche's Book "Call Me Crazy": Lurid Fascination or Okay, You're "Crazy" by Kim Diorio
It is truly inspiring when someone in a position of public influence makes the choice to stand up and be counted as a person infected with herpes.
It proves to the world that people from all walks of life have herpes, regardless of how they live their life, what they do for a living, their sex, color, race, financial position, or any other discriminating factor.
In a Rolling Stone interview Billy Idol states candidly "Herpes was the worst. You probably had that already? Yeah! Let's give it to each other and get on with it!" [Article]
Moral of the story? Celebrities, politicians, models, actors, singers, sports personalities, comedians, authors and "famous people" have herpes too.
Some good herpes resources:
