Gareth Thomas shares a kiss with his husband Stephen in loved-up snaps after revealing people ‘still walk out of a restaurant when he enters’ because of his HIV positive status

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Gareth Thomas, the Welsh rugby legend, recently posted affectionate photos with his husband, Stephen. This comes after he spoke about the continued prejudice he experiences due to living with HIV.

The 51-year-old athlete captained both the Welsh national team and the British and Irish Lions during his playing days. He publicly came out as gay in 2009, and in 2019, shared that he has HIV, but his treatment means he cannot transmit the virus to others.

Gareth shared the sweet images with his spouse including two of them sharing a kiss.

The famous rugby player marked eight years of marriage with his husband in June, sharing a heartfelt message on Instagram.

Today marks eight years since I married the most wonderful person I could have ever imagined. Stephen always manages to make me smile, even when things are tough. I love him so much.

Gareth broke ground by becoming rugby union’s first openly gay professional player.

Since going public about his HIV diagnosis, Thomas has championed HIV awareness and acceptance. 

Thanks to medical breakthroughs in the last ten years, people with HIV can now expect to live long, healthy lives.

Modern treatments make it very difficult for people on medication to spread the virus.

People who are diagnosed with the condition later on usually experience the most severe effects, often because they weren’t aware of the symptoms or were afraid of being treated unfairly.

Last year, Gareth explained that even though standard tests show no sign of the virus in his system, he still faces discrimination in public.

He explained to The Telegraph that he, his husband, and his family are confident the illness can’t be spread through everyday contact – like sharing utensils, drinks, or even using the same toilet seat.

I’ve noticed a pattern: when I enter a restaurant and people start to leave, or avoid interacting with me, it’s a clear sign of how the visit will go. It’s happened enough times that I can usually tell right away if I’m unwelcome.

It wasn’t just a single incident that made me anxious. It’s happened so often that now, whenever I go to a restaurant, I feel like I need to carefully consider the situation to make sure everyone in my group – myself, my husband, and our family – has a good time.

For years, Thomas has worked to lessen the shame and discrimination associated with HIV. He’s publicly stated that this stigma is his biggest fear.

Police began investigating after Baum, a former partner, claimed he contracted HIV due to deceptive behavior.

The claims, covering the years 2013 to 2018, surfaced after Thomas was diagnosed with HIV.

Ian Baum is suing Thomas for £150,000, claiming Thomas didn’t take proper precautions and allegedly gave him a virus as a result.

Despite initially contesting the claim, the former Wales captain chose to settle with Baum, agreeing to pay £75,000 plus legal fees. He stated this decision was made to protect his own and his family’s well-being, and emphasized that it didn’t mean he accepted responsibility or was at fault.

He was also formerly married to Jemma Thomas between 2001 and 2009.  

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2026-01-13 22:03