'Big Brother' Winner Reveals He is HIV Positive

Dick Donato won season 8 of the CBS reality show "Big Brother" back in 2007, becoming one of the most well-known villains to win the game, truly earning his nickname, "Evel Dick." Donato returned to play the game in 2011 on "Big Brother 11," but just six days into the season, Donato mysteriously left, walking from the game due to a "personal matter."

Donato, 51, has never opened up as to why he left the game, even when fans were left confused that a winner would walk away from another opportunity to play "Big Brother." But Donato finally revealed his the reason this week: he found out he is HIV-positive.

The reality star is currently on VH1's "Couples Therapy," with his on-again, off-again girlfriend Stephanie Rogness-Fischer. On Wednesday's episode, Donato will reveal his HIV status to the program's therapist, Dr. Jenn Berman.

In an interview with People magazine, Donato revealed that "Big Brother" producers were the ones to tell him he had HIV when they called him into the private diary room.

"They told me that something was wrong with my blood test," he told the publication. "They had done two HIV tests. One had come back positive and the other had come back negative."

The "Big Brother" doctor took more blood and two hours later, Donato was told he did in fact have HIV.

"When they told me, I just went numb," he said, adding that he decided to leave the game without explanation. "They had a car take me from CBS to my mother's house. She was the first person I told."

Donato said he was worried about telling his girlfriend but she took the news well, saying she's been supportive. She was soon tested for HIV and her results came back negative.

The reality star said he doesn't know how he contracted HIV but suspects it happened when he had unprotected sex with a woman.

"People are going to make assumptions about how I got it, and that's okay," he told People. "People are afraid to come forward because they're afraid of the stigma of HIV. I'm not gay and I've never stuck a needle in my arm, but at this point, it doesn't matter. We create a stigma around the disease that makes it hard for people to publicly say they have it."

Donato said for the last three years he's been worried someone would discover his status.

"I went to a clinic that had a big sign that said 'HIV' and I thought, 'What if someone sees me?' My computer and router were hacked and I was afraid that someone would leak the information," he said. "I came up with excuses - people wondered why I was taking medicine regularly. When people asked why I left 'Big Brother,' I would give quippy, smart-ass answers."

He said he decided to open up about his status because he "doesn't want to hide anymore" and because he hopes his revelation "will remind viewers to get tested, practice safe sex, all those things we know in the back of our minds but maybe don't do."

Watch Donato in full force below: