Danny Pintauro recently sat down with HIV Equal‘s Stephen Lucin to discuss his experiences with meth, as well as his thoughts on Grindr and why he doesn’t want to be seen as a poster child for HIV/AIDS or meth addiction.
“I definitely don’t want to be a hero. I don’t want to be, like, the poster child,” Pintauro said. “I want to be the example of what not to do, of what not to be, and what happens when you go down even just the slightest of dark roads.”
Related: Danny Pintauro Says He Contracted HIV Through Oral Sex
Pintauro, who revealed he believes he contracted HIV through oral sex 12 years ago, explained he was first introduced to meth during a BDSM sex session with a stranger.
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“So here I am wanting to explore bondage, wanting to explore rougher things, wanting to explore, sort of, being dominated,” he recalled. “And the person that I find, who I think is just gorgeous and, oh my god, it’s, like, perfect. … This guy wants to hang out with me? How can I turn him down?”
Related: Former Child Star Danny Pintauro Tells Oprah About Meth Addiction
Pintauro claims that he can identify meth heads by simply reading their Grindr profiles.
“From my experience, with Grindr and all of those sites, I could go on there right now and look at the people in this area who are either doing, have done, or want to do meth,” he said, estimating that “1 out of every 8 guys” on dating apps is into the drug.
Watch the full interview below.
Scott Stevenson
No, bad decisions did that, not the type of sex you had.
Sidney Davies
your bad choices led you to meth. Not BDSM, I have a healthy sex life, I’m into BDSM and i have never touched meth.
Gabriel Dor
I think it was Tony Danza.
Mishka Dennis
He’s just not wanting to take responsibility for his actions.
Rick Fowlie
What a messed up guy. Some people make fun of it, but I’m so glad I’m “vanilla”. When I used to go out to clubs and someone would try to pick me up by asking what are you into. I would say love. It might have saved my life.
Keith Robben
I haven’t used, experimented or touched meth. Danny, stop making excuses for your bad decisions.
Eldred
What’s with the current hardon that Queerty has for Danny Pintauro and his bullshit?
Amaurys Arias
I would blame his bad decision to submerge himself in a sub culture rampant with drug use.
Daniel Salmeron
It’s a bad title, he didn’t claim BDSM sex led to his meth addiction. He claims that during his first experience with BDSM, he was offered and took meth which led to his addiction. Way to sensationalize, Queerty
Rob Laughlin
I appreciate the courage it takes to come out as poz, but I wish he’d just stop talking already. After the initial interview with Oprah, the rest of these interviews diminish his credibility.
John Malin
It’s the blame game, with different twists. If someone offers you something yo’ve heard can be harmful, its YOUR option to take it or leave it. I just don’t see what he has to say having relevence. My bad!
Kevin Brit
It amazes – and saddens me — how messed up so many gay men are.
Mark Quagliano
“I want to be dominated, and could you please yell ‘Who’s the Boss?’ while you’re doing it?” – D. Pintauro circa 2003
Matthew Farris
If the story doesn’t fit your narrative, change the story. In this case, Queerty just changed the headline to something Pintauro didn’t actually say.
William Mc Gregor
Love how the LGBT community loves to tear people apart. Way to show others how to be inclusive and treat everyone with respect.
Aaron Drake
BDSM and he got HIV from oral? Ok.
onthemark
Is he going to say a new, stupid thing every day for the next two weeks?
If he had met a hot, dominant guy who was NOT into meth, he wouldn’t have done meth that night. BDSM didn’t “lead to” anything by itself.
And of course, we’re supposed to believe he only did rough, meth-fueled ORAL sex and never got fucked! Ri-i-i-ght.
John Zakibe
Yes, it’s very rare to get HIV from oral, but if he had compromised oral health due to the meth, it’s possible. Again, I’m not saying its likely, but it is possible.
James Jurome
Nomo Drama
Desert Boy
Don’t worry Danny: you’re not a hero because you haven’t done anything heroic. Please stop talking now. Just shut-up. I see Joy Behar is getting a talkshow on TLC. Save some of your saga for your appearance on her show.
Anthony Dilsaver
Go away please
Kraig Fiero
Don’t blame your hobbies on your addictions. You were wired to be an addict. You weren’t born with a slap and tickle gene. That’s fucking absurd.
Brian
The reason you become addicted to crystal meth is because you chose to use it. It didn’t just fall out of the sky and into your body, sweetheart.
Message to Danny Pintauro: verbal diarrhea is not a good look.
Bobby Lusby
I don’t even know what BDSM sex is…
William Meyer
Stay tuned for tomorrow’s excuse.
Wil Chaney
I am done with his 15 minutes of fame.
Billy Budd
He is full of BULL.
Annette Phillips
He’s broke and irrelevant. Stop paying him for these interviews.
YouGoGurl
@Desert Boy: Joy Behar = Talk about an alternative to NyQuil.
Ronnyboy
Some of you that have a constant need to shit on others need to take a break every now and then. Just constant negative BS. Just a bunch of whiny judgmental pricks.
He’s not making excuses. Just someone analyzing his life as to what led to what. We all make mistakes and learning is about figuring out cause and effect.
Ronnyboy
@Wil Chaney: Great. Then you’ll be going away I assume.
Peter McKinney
Tired of this guy. Terrible example of a spokesperson for taking responsibility for your own actions.
stanhope
Miss Thing needs to shut her mouth or put something in it. The Oprah disclosure was fine though 10 years later hardly courageous. Now she contracted HIV orally when she was bottom to half of New York. No, not because she’s pretty rather boys like fucking celebrities form one scene porn stars to washed up child actors who wind up as present day Dora Mae at the Cattleman’s Club in Dallas.
Jon Mackey
Being a idiot Is what lead to his meth addiction .
John Smith
Oh, shut up already.
Curty
He should have shut up after Oprah now he is becoming more and more annoying… dude take some responsibility and stop just making up stuff… you were a big sex and drug freak. Move on already. Have some damn dignity for yourself and husband.
Jorge Antonio Coronel
What a lame excuse…i don’t buy what he’s selling.
sportsguy1983
BDSM did not lead him to becoming a meth head. His weak personality led him to that.
Travis Garrett
Enough with this pathetic queen blaming everybody and everything for his mistakes. Quit giving him publicity.
BigG
I don’t think he’s mentally all there. Clearly the drugs messed him up he can’t even be honest.
John Marquez
Do we really care….?? Transmitting HIV via oral sex is extremely rare. The acid in the mouth and the stomach usually kills the virus. I’m guessing there is more to the story.
Mkiel
@Curty: & shut up, even better stop giving press coverage he just wants to be in the limelight.
Cam
Wow, he just has an excuse for everything doesn’t he?
Here is a question for him, if he is so happy, clean, and monogamous now, then why does he talk about Meth and Grindr in the present tense? He constantly talks about the “meth scene” in the gay community but claims to have been clean for years.
Guido Habets
yeah blame everything but yourself
Raoul Wijnands
I admire his openness and I don’t think he’s blaming anything or anyone.
Lvng1Tor
Holy F…there are some judgmental (apparently illiterate and deaf too) people on here. He doesn’t blame BDSM, he recounts his first experience with it. He doesn’t blame the guy for making him take it. He takes responsibility for his deciding to take it. I haven’t heard him blame a single person but his own actions. Not to mention METH and HIV are huge in our community and more people need to be talking about it. Because his narrative and life doesn’t match what you want to believe or relate to doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. It’s his story not yours.
Joe
I’ve never touched meth. It just wasn’t my thing and possibly not interested in meth may have saved my life. I have some friends that are using meth and unfortunately they are positive. Some are still using. Which scares me since they are meds…there has to be some sort of complications by mixing the two, I don’t know? I do it’s a horrid addiction.
martinbakman
Isn’t rule #1 about Meth addicts is don’t believe any of their bullshit?
I’d assume he doesn’t really know how/when he contracted HIV.
George Jesse Brooks Jr
Doing meth led u to ur meth addiction
onthemark
“estimating that “1 out of every 8 guys” on dating apps is into the drug.”
He’s probably right about that, though. It’s easy to “estimate” because they just say “PNP.” There doesn’t seem to be much of a secret code. I remember some poster here (an ex-addict) saying he always wondered why the police didn’t do a sting with “PNP” because it would be like shooting fish in a barrel.
stranded
I really tried to be on his side, but this is too much. I keep it vanilla in my sex life but i don’t dare judge people into BDSM. I’m sure it’s probably present in that scene. But from what I’ve learned, it’s all about permission. You allow yourself to be dominated, tied up, told what to do, and you relinquish control (sort of, i mean there’s still safety words). If a master says to take meth, there’s no way he/she can actually make you do it. You have to consent. He was mesmerized by this gorgeous master, and his low self esteem pushed him to accepting the meth.
Ronnyboy
@Cam: I can’t believe so many of you are getting hung up on this. No where did not say BDSM caused the Meth Addiction. He could’ve said it happened at a birthday party and you all would be up in arms about him blaming birthday parties. Just a simple explanation as to how it started.
Ronnyboy
@onthemark: Generally the gay community is left alone by the police when it comes to drugs. I think it’s because were not out committing allot of crimes or doing it on the streets. All we want to do is have tons of sex. There’s no crime against destroying your life.
Ronnyboy
@Cam: One more thing. It is a present problem as onthemark stated. Grindr apps, adam4adam, etc. It’s everywhere you look in the gay scene. He’s basically just stating the obvious.
Frankie Mendoza
I’m really sick of him already. Bdsm wasn’t contributed to my old meth addiction, I never experimented with bdsm. And I wouldn’t blame anything else on my addiction other than ME looking to get high. Asshole, he is really trying to make a case for people who hate us.
Giancarlo85
I’m not going to jump on him too much, but he should take responsibility for his own actions. He needs to blame himself and he only has himself to blame.
Thomas Hammond
Question using meth could use needle
Frank Croix
Would have loved to see him tell Candace and Raven (on The View), about his first BDSM/meth experience. Next week, he will then tell us he truly tried meth for the first time when someone gave him his first Dirty Sanchez.
Rye Iwata
Blame it all on the drug & take no responsibility; sounds like Christianity to me!
AtticusBennett
on grindr – it’s simple: ask “do you PNP?” if they say yes, you block them. DUH.
i’ve explored all sorts of sexual stuff. i don’t have HIV and i’ve never tried Meth. it’s really easy to not try meth, you start by not trying it. ever.
dean3000
My dealer not only offered me free meth he bought me a pipe too. That was in 2008 I haven’t touched a drug or seen him since. The only people who introduce you to drugs are the people who hate you
Steve Hanson
This dude needs to shut the f__k up and stop spreading BS. Somebody give him a job please.
Nick Grillo
Poor choice for a title – very misleading and seems set merely to produce a conflict within the community. Queerty
Kent Dobbs
I admired his courage in coming out publicly with his HIV+ status. The details of how and why he got it is no one’s business. You don’t ask cancer patients how they caught it. HIV should be treated with dignity, not shame.
Jonathan Cortez
What is BDSM?
Geoff B
Ugh. Fine, you have HIV. It happens. Quit trying to blame everyone and everything for it. You did the meth. You did the unsafe sex. You are the one who will have to deal with this. It doesn’the make you a bad person, but take responsibility for your own actions.
Matthew Boyes
He â¤ï¸’s the D IT’s what IT IS
Cam
@Ronnyboy:
Why are you pretending I said something I didn’t?
I quite clearly stated my problems with his comments, if you have no defense for them, just admit it rather than trying to invent a conversation that never happened.
Lvng1Tor
Someone??? Anyone??? Point out to me where he blamed where he is at in life or his HIV status on someone other than himself? Did any of you read the article and watch the video or just read the headline and shoot on down to the comments section? Wait…what am I thinking…this is queerty…of course most of you didn’t look past the headline.
@AtticusBennett: is right, you just don’t try it…but to judge and convict anyone who has or is addicted to meth or any substance is just wrong. Choose for yourself whether or not you want someone in your life who has an addiction. That’s fine, that’s your life. But to call them all liars, liars, disgusting is to help perpetuate a wrong and dangerous stereotype…but then again…this is queerty and most people on here seem to think their little f@ggot, white, male, cis, pretentious, entitled lives aren’t affected anymore by trivial matters of caring for anyone but themselves. They were never like “those” gays.
Lvng1Tor
oh and to Queerty…STOP Lying in your titles just to get people fighting with each other. pitting lgbt against each other shouldn’t be your “queer agenda” that’s what ultra conservatives do!
Joe
@Bobby Lusby:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BDSM
alphacentauri
@AtticusBennett: How many STDs do you have since you hook up with random guys on Grindr? I’ve never used meth either but it’s extremely common both among LBGT people and heterosexual people.
alphacentauri
Why is this guy who was a shitty child actor blaming everyone and everything else instead of taking personal responsibility? I have practiced BDSM for decades and I’m not HIV+, have no other STDs, and have never used crystal meth.
Ronnyboy
@dean3000:”The only people who introduce you to drugs are the people who hate you”. Hate is a strong word. I’d just say their sick themselves.
In my life I’ve introduced people to drugs and it’s haunted me ever since. I don’t dare let them know where I’m at since they may hold certain grudges.
Ronnyboy
@AtticusBennett: When I started it back in SF back in 1997 and we never had all the horror stories to go by. It really was a beautiful drug or so we thought at the time. Just like caffeine but so much better. I just had no idea how bad it really was at the time. I was young and just wanted to fit in and unfortunately the drug was part of that deal.
Don’t lump everyone into nice neat categories. If you were in the right circumstances you might not be so judgemental.
alphacentauri
@Ronnyboy: How did you not know in 95 that meth is bad, or that you thought it was akin to caffeine? Meth has been around since the late 60s and people have known that it’s bad since then.
Ronnyboy
@alphacentauri: Yeah, sure in a remote kind of way. Didn’t really hit the gay community till the mid 90’s.
alphacentauri
@Ronnyboy: OK, I know gay men who were into meth in the late 70s, 80s, and early 90s for sure. I personally have never used it as my friends who did said how it was extremely powerful, more powerful than Dexedrine or what’s now called Adderall are even at high doses of Dex and Adderall, and that even a low dose of it swallowed or snorted keeps you awake for days. Not my idea of fun as I need my rest, and doing all nighters while in college on lots of caffeine from black tea or coffee at the end of a semester was not fun to me.
Billy Budd
I bet he gave his ass (bareback) for 10 bucks in order to buy meth. And got positive.
Ronnyboy
@alphacentauri: Meth hit the gay community big in the 90s. In the 70s, 80’s it was mostly amphetamines.
Just look at all the circuit parties and all night dance clubs. They all started in the 90’s. They came about at the same exact time when Meth hit. It’s no coincidence.
Merv
@AtticusBennett: What if the other guy says no and then blocks you for asking the question in the first place?
moldisdelicious
@Ronnyboy:
Thank you. All these cowards getting off to bullying other gay people but are the first to cry at the moment they get criticized over anything they do wrong. What a bunch of losers. I never understood that type of mentality. Victimizing people than crying when they get what they give out. Smh. If they can’t take it, they damn well shouldn’t be dishing it. You know these dudes are too weak to pull that nonsense so why are they even talking?
alphacentauri
@Ronnyboy: You were not around in the 70s or 80s but meth was around then as well, look at disco and the beginning of what are now called raves/circuit parties which happened then and people stayed up all night for days on meth then. The smokeable form of meth or ice started coming around in the 80s. But before then people ate it, IV’d it or snorted it.
onthemark
@Merv: “What if the other guy says no and then blocks you for asking the question in the first place?”
Right! That seemed like a strange thing for Atticus to say. Whenever anyone asked me “Do you PNP?” I assumed that HE was into PNP. Not only did I block him, I didn’t even respond. I find it hard to believe that Atticus has ever actually done that in real life.