Questions are still being asked about the entertainer's demise
The actor received his HIV diagnosis in 1996. A year later, Jeter made his condition public. He died in 2003, at the age of 50.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Director for 'Tom Jones' (1963), the English theater and film director kept his bisexuality a secret from the public until 1985, when he contracted HIV. Richardson died in 1991 from AIDS-related complications.
The flamboyant Australian performance artist kept his HIV diagnosis to himself until he was admitted to hospital in 1994. Leigh Bowery died shortly after, on December 31, from an AIDS-related illness.
The actor learned he was infected with HIV in 1991. Dack Rambo died in 1994 of AIDS-related complications. He was 52.
The prolific sci-fi writer and biochemistry professor contracted HIV from a blood transfusion in 1983. Asimov died of AIDS-related heart and kidney failure in 1992.
The visual artist advocated for protected intercourse as a way to fight the AIDS epidemic. Sadly, Haring himself succumbed to the condition. Before he passed away in 1990, the artist founded the Keith Haring Foundation, which not only preserves his legacy, but also provides grants to children in need and those affected by HIV/AIDS.
The award-winning English actor was diagnosed with HIV in 1987. Elliott succumbed to AIDS-related tuberculosis in 1992.
The rapper, best known as a member of the group N.W.A, passed away in 1995 of AIDS complications. Eazy-E died a month after he received his diagnosis, but not before releasing a statement saying, "I've got thousands and thousands of young fans that have to learn about what's real when it comes to AIDS. Like the others before me, I would like to turn my own problem into something good that will reach out to all my homeboys and their kin. I have learned in the last week that this thing is real, and it doesn't discriminate. It affects everyone."
The founding member of rock band Creedence Clearwater Revival contracted HIV through a blood transfusion. Tom Fogerty died in 1990 of AIDS-related complications.
The founder of the iconic New York nightclub Studio 54 partied with a bunch of A-listers back in the '70s and '80s. Steve Rubell died in 1989 of AIDS-related complications, which included hepatitis and septic shock.
The Australian singer-songwriter wrote songs for the likes of Frank Sinatra, Olivia Newton-John, and Carly Simon, to name a few. Peter Allen died from AIDS-related throat cancer in 1992. He was previously married to Liza Minnelli from 1967 to 1974.
The TV personality became known for taking part in the 1973 reality show 'American Family,' which is considered the first reality show ever. Lance Loud passed away in 2001 of liver failure caused by hepatitis C and HIV.
The Golden Globe-winning actor reportedly became infected with HIV in 1985 through the use of intravenous drugs. Davis hid his diagnosis from the public until shortly before his death in 1991.
In 1983, the German performer became one of the first experimental artists to die of AIDS complications.
The British filmmaker and artist was open about his HIV diagnosis. Derek Jarman died in 1994 of an AIDS-related illness.
The 'Gunsmoke' star's partial cause of death was CMV hepatitis, an AIDS-related condition. Amanda Blake died on August 16, 1989, aged 60.
The famous Soviet-born ballet dancer was diagnosed with HIV in 1984, but kept his condition a secret because he believed it could affect his professional life. Nureyev died from AIDS complications in 1993. He was 54.
Ryan White was a hemophiliac who contracted HIV through contaminated blood. White died of an AIDS-related respiratory infection in 1990. He was 18. The Ryan White CARE Act, the largest federal program focused on HIV/AIDS, was passed by the US Congress shortly after his death.
Sources: (HIV Plus Magazine) (Ranker) (The Famous People)
See also: Stars who took huge secrets to the grave
Diagnosed with HIV at the age of 17, Pedro Zamora (left) became the first openly gay HIV-positive man on TV, when he starred in the 1994 MTV show 'The Real World: San Francisco.' Zamora died on November 11, 1994, shortly after the last episode aired.
The actor, best know for his role in the '70s sitcom 'The Brady Bunch,' passed away in 1992 of AIDS-related bowel cancer.
The fashion designer who dressed the likes of Jackie Onassis, Liza Minnelli, and Andy Warhol died in 1990 of Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-related cancer.
The American fashion designer's cause of death in 1986 was attributed to viral encephalitis. It is, however, believed that Elis death was AIDS-related, particularly because his partner, Laughlin Barker, died of an AIDS-related cancer just a few months before Ellis.
The iconic front man of Queen passed away shortly after his diagnosis was made public. The singer died of bronchopneumonia as a result of AIDS on November 24, 1991. Freddie Mercury was 45.
The only black tennis player ever to win singles titles at Wimbledon, the US Open, and the Australian Open reportedly contracted HIV from a blood transfusion. Before his death of AIDS-related pneumonia in 1993, Ashe founded both the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the Defeat of AIDS and the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health.
The flamboyant performer tried to hide his AIDS diagnosis from the public. Liberace died of AIDS-related pneumonia on February 4, 1987.
Rock Hudson was huge in Hollywood, especially during the '50s and '60s. The actor was diagnosed with AIDS in 1984 and died a year later, on October 2, 1985, aged 59. He became the first big star to openly disclose his diagnosis and die of AIDS-related complications. The American Foundation for AIDS Research was co-founded by his close friend and fellow actor Elizabeth Taylor, following Hudson's death.
The actor, best known for his role in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 classic 'Psycho,' died in 1992 of AIDS-related pneumonia. "There are many who believe that this disease is God's vengeance, but I believe it was sent to teach people how to love and understand and have compassion for each other," he said in a statement released before his passing.
Mapplethorpe was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986 and died on March 9, 1989. In 1988, a year before his death, the photographer established the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation to protect his work, promote photography as an art form, and to support HIV/AIDS medical research.
Dubbed the "world's first supermodel," Gia Carangi reportedly contracted HIV through a contaminated needle used to inject drugs. The model became one of the first celebrities to die of AIDS-related complications. Gia Carangi passed away on November 18, 1986, aged 26.
There are many people around the world, including celebrities, who live with HIV. In this day and age, the human immunodeficiency virus is not a death sentence as such. However, those who develop AIDS (a chronic immunodeficiency condition caused by HIV) are in a much more delicate position.
Throughout the years, many celebrities lost their battle with AIDS, and in this gallery we remember them. Click through and pay tribute to the stars we've lost to AIDS.
These HIV-positive stars lost their battle with AIDS
Celebrities who died of AIDS
CELEBRITY Death
There are many people around the world, including celebrities, who live with HIV. In this day and age, the human immunodeficiency virus is not a death sentence as such. However, those who develop AIDS (a chronic immunodeficiency condition caused by HIV) are in a much more delicate position.
Throughout the years, many celebrities lost their battle with AIDS, and in this gallery we remember them. Click through and pay tribute to the stars we've lost to AIDS.