Gareth Thomas' former partner has told of the "absolute distress" he experienced on learning he had HIV. Ian Baum was speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain after the settlement of a legal case he filed against the Welsh rugby legend.
The former Wales and Lions captain had been sued for £150,000 in damages by Mr Baum, who claimed Mr Thomas had hidden his HIV status during their relationship and had failed to take "reasonable care" before allegedly passing the virus onto him. The Sarn-born TV personality, 48, strongly denied the allegations.
The case was due to be heard in the High Court later this year but Mr Thomas confirmed on Monday that he had paid Mr Baum £75,000 plus costs with no admission of liability or guilt, which he said was a fraction of what he would have had to pay to defend himself in court.
Read more: Former partner who accused Gareth Thomas of hiding his HIV says he is 'vindicated'
Mr Baum, 59, gave an emotional interview on Wednesday morning with GMB hosts Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid. Asked about the impact of his HIV diagnosis, he said: "[I was in] absolute distress. I hadn't done my homework on HIV. I hadn't done anything on [whether it could be] undetectable. I then had to start Googling 'HIV undetectable' and come to terms with it."
He added: "It's been a long eight-year fight, but where I am today, after what I've been through and got over it with the support of so many friends and family, I'm in the best place ever now. All I ever wanted was justice and closure. I feel I've got that now and need to draw a line underneath it." For more court stories, subscribe to our newsletter here
Mr Madeley asked if Mr Baum had been diagnosed with AIDS — a term used for potentially life-threatening illnesses that occur when an immune system has been severely damaged by HIV. It is a misconception that HIV and AIDS mean the same thing. Mr Baum replied to the host: "No, we don't use the word AIDS. It's HIV, but because we caught it so early, it will always be undetectable."
The discussion later turned to the importance of educating the public about HIV. Mr Baum said: "It's like Richard just made the comment about AIDS, isn't it? That just slipped out."
He continued: "You try to explain to people about 'HIV undetectable' and CD4 counts... I get tested for everything every six months so I'm in a very good place. It's just people's education. You say the word 'HIV' and people run for the hills because you haven't even got time to put 'undetectable' in. And people don't understand, yes you've got the virus but you can't pass it on."
Mr Thomas had strongly denied the accusations that he had deliberately concealed his HIV status from Mr Baum, but admitted the subject was not initially brought up during their relationship. In court papers his legal team said he "was never asked by the claimant if he was HIV-positive and he never denied that he was". He also claimed he did not believe he could transmit the virus to others.
In tweets about the settlement Mr Thomas said: "I'm making this announcement first before the tabloids take my truth. I am delighted to say that the legal case against me has been settled by means of a Part 36 offer. This is not an admission of liability or guilt. I maintain my innocence in all the meritless allegations.
"In personal injury cases like this the accuser has no financial risks even if they lose, but for me winning had huge financial implications. Paying £75k plus costs now is nothing compared to the many multiples of that sum I'd have had to pay to successfully defend myself in court."
He added: "For my own mental health and that of my family, this closure and acceptance from the other side is a hugely positive outcome. As the largest HIV charity in the UK said, there are no winners in HIV cases like these, and that is certainly the case. To all my family, friends and supporters and sponsors, I love you and thank you xxxx."
In the particulars of claim, Mr Baum alleged that he and Mr Thomas had a "volatile and unpredictable" relationship between October 2013 and January 2016, with the claimant allegedly only learning of the former rugby player's positive status in May 2014, after discovering a large pill on their bedroom floor that was later found to be anti-viral HIV medication.
Mr Baum claimed that after finding the pill he took a rapid HIV test and received a positive result. He alleged that only Mr Thomas could be responsible as he had been "wholly monogamous" in his relationship with the defendant, while he also claimed that the former Wales captain was "very repentant and apologetic" when he rang him to demand an explanation.
However, Mr Thomas denied that such a phone call ever took place. He went on to accuse Mr Baum of being promiscuous and claimed he was "blasé" about catching HIV when Mr Thomas did reveal his own status, "his attitude being that he was bound to get HIV sooner or later".
Mr Thomas admitted he had removed labels from HIV medication bottles but denied this was to prevent Mr Baum from discovering what they were. His defence had stated: "The defendant removed the labels to prevent others, such as family members, from seeing what medication he was taking."
The defence also said: "The defendant genuinely and reasonably believed that he could not transmit the condition to others whilst his CD4 count (a measure of immune function) was not at a dangerous level requiring medication. Whilst the defendant understands now that this was incorrect, it was a genuinely held belief at the material time."
You can read more details from the court papers here.
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