Freddie Mercury (September 5, 1946 – November 24, 1991). In the public eye as Queen’s magnetic frontman, Mercury kept his HIV status private for much of his life. By the time the world learned of his illness, many believed AIDS had already claimed him. The first signs likely appeared in the early 1980s. In 1986 British tabloids claimed he had been tested for HIV, but Mercury publicly insisted he was fine. He stated that a 1987 test was negative, a claim we now understand to have been inconsistent with the medical reality of the time.
For years, until 1990, tabloid coverage in Britain pushed rumors about Mercury’s health. His family and friends denied the reports, and Mercury himself avoided discussing AIDS. Brian May later recalled that Mercury wanted to compose more material and would have liked to record with colleagues after his passing. In June 1991, Mercury stepped back from the stage and moved to a home in Kensington. He faced worsening vision and increasing frailty, choosing to skip most medications and rely on pain relief instead.
On November 22, Mercury issued a public statement acknowledging his AIDS diagnosis and explaining that the secrecy had been an effort to protect his privacy. He died two days later, on November 24, 1991. The official cause of death was bronchopneumonia linked to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.
Rudolf Nureyev (March 17, 1938 – January 6, 1993). The legendary dancer fled the USSR in 1961 and lived much of his life in Europe. He tested positive for HIV in the first half of the 1980s. For several years after his diagnosis, he appeared to carry on with his work and public life, but by the late 1980s his strength and stamina began to fade, disappointing fans. By the summer of 1991 the dancer acknowledged the illness’s toll, and within a year he reached the final stage of the disease.
In March 1992 Nureyev traveled to Kazan to serve as a conductor, later returning to Paris with a fever and entering a hospital in a Paris suburb. He underwent surgery for pericarditis, an inflammation of the heart’s lining.
July 1992 brought a recurrence of pericarditis. He had already refused further treatment. Nureyev’s last stage appearance was on October 8 at the Palais Garnier in Paris, where he presented La Bayadere, choreographed by Marius Petipa.
November 20, 1992 saw him back in the hospital, where he remained until his death on January 6 of the following year.
Isaac Asimov (1919 or 1920 – April 6, 1992). The renowned science fiction writer’s AIDS-related death was revealed a decade after his passing. His widow Janet and his son Robin from a previous marriage disclosed the fact, with Janet adding the information during work on Asimov’s autobiography.
The infection likely entered through a blood transfusion during a 1983 bypass operation. Asimov kept the illness private out of concern about prejudice and the impact on his family. After his death, the body was cremated and the official cause cited was heart and kidney failure.
Anthony Perkins (April 4, 1932 – September 12, 1992). The American actor rose to fame as Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. During the late stages of filming Psycho IV: The Beginning in 1990, Perkins faced a medical challenge that fed tabloid rumors about an HIV diagnosis.
For two years Perkins avoided public confirmation, using aliases at various clinics while his wife and two children were regularly tested and found negative. He openly revealed his HIV status only shortly before his death, with pneumonia arising from the illness listed as the cause of death.
Gia Carangi (January 29, 1960 – November 18, 1986). An American model who graced Vogue covers and starred in major advertising campaigns, Carangi became one of the early high-profile names linked to AIDS. She faced a career downturn amid drug use, and her life spiraled as she battled addiction.
Carangi’s final years saw her living with the consequences of her choices, sometimes working modest jobs and relying on the support of friends. In December 1985 she developed double pneumonia and was hospitalized in Pennsylvania with AIDS. After a difficult autumn when she was assaulted and robbed, she died roughly a month later from AIDS-related complications. The fashion world mourned, and her funeral drew few public figures from the industry.
Halston (April 23, 1932 – March 26, 1990). One of the era’s defining fashion designers, Halston became famous for streamlined forms and luxurious fabrics. His client list included iconic figures such as Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Greta Garbo, and Anjelica Huston. He first gained worldwide recognition after a simple pillbox hat worn by Jacqueline Kennedy inspired a wave of modern design in 1961.
Halston tested positive for HIV in 1988. As his health declined, he moved to San Francisco, with family members taking on his care. He died in 1990 from Kaposi’s sarcoma, a cancer linked to AIDS, and his ashes were interred after cremation.
Derek Jarman (January 31, 1942 – February 19, 1994). The British filmmaker and artist faced an HIV diagnosis in 1986 and spoke openly about the experience. His work, often experimental, reflected the impact of HIV and AIDS on life and art. The painterly, vivid strokes in his films and paintings became a powerful testament to resilience.
Jarman’s late years saw him living in a Kent home near a power plant, where he cultivated a garden that later featured in design literature. He completed the film Blue, produced in 1993, which explored the sensory impact of AIDS. He passed away in London in early 1994.
Tom Fogerty (November 9, 1941 – September 6, 1990). A founding member of Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fogerty faced HIV from a blood transfusion in the early 1980s after back surgery. The infection led to additional health complications, including tuberculosis, contributing to his death in 1990. He left behind a wife and six children.
Keith Haring (May 4, 1958 – February 16, 1990). The celebrated artist famously announced his HIV-positive status in 1988. He used his platform to raise AIDS awareness, creating a mural in Barcelona in 1989 that proclaimed a proactive stance against the epidemic.
Haring spoke of the healing potential of confronting AIDS directly. He died early in 1990 from AIDS-related complications, at a time when public understanding of the disease was expanding rapidly.
Ofra Haza (November 19, 1957 – February 23, 2000). The beloved Israeli singer’s illness became public after her death, stirring a national conversation about privacy and medical disclosure. A local newspaper report suggested AIDS as the cause, prompting a broader discussion about stigma and the right to privacy in health matters.
Haza’s husband, Doron Ashkenazi, faced suspicion about possible transmission, but it was later clarified that the diagnosis likely related to a blood transfusion during a hospital stay for a miscarriage in Turkey. The public conversation around her passing reflected changing attitudes toward HIV and treatment, highlighting ongoing concerns about stigma in medical care. A year after her death, Ashkenazi himself died from an overdose.