Jonathan Van Ness, or JVN,is ready to open up about his HIV diagnosis in his memoir “Over the Top” that is set to hit shelves on September 24.
Speaking to The New York Times, the sassiest groomer on Netflix’s “Queer Eye” opened up about his health, HIV diagnosis, addiction, and past sexual abuse.
JVN said, “I’ve had nightmares every night for the past three months because I’m scared to be this vulnerable with people. There are issues that need to be talked about.”
One of the gutsy revelations he made in his memoir is sharing the diagnosis of HIV at the age of 25 after he collapsed while working with one of his clients, according to the Times.
The newspaper said that he mentioned in the book about his devastating experience after receiving the diagnosis.
Another important element of his memoir is the revelation of sexual abuse at a very young age. He mentioned that he was sexually abused by an older boy, contributing to his other self-destructive behaviors.
JVN told the newspaper, “For a lot of people who are survivors of sexual assault at a young age, we have a lot of compounded trauma.” He said he would catch up with older men and advertised sex for money after using up it on drugs in college.
He started taking methamphetamine by the time he was 20 and had to undergo rehab twice, per the newspaper. After that, he has not been using any strong drugs.
JVN went on to say he decided to open up about his HIV diagnosis and described himself as a “healthy and proud member of the beautiful HIV-positive community.”
He said, “When Queer Eye came out, it was really difficult because I was like, ‘Do I want to talk about my status?And then I was like, ‘The Trump administration has done everything they can do to have the stigmatization of the LGBT community thrive around me.’”
“These are all difficult subjects to talk about on a makeover show about hair and makeup,” added JVN. “That doesn’t mean Queer Eye is less valid, but I want people to realize you’re never too broken to be fixed.”
