Over the weekend, Gareth Thomas revealed that he is living with HIV.
In a video released on social media, the former Wales captain said he was sharing his secret "because it's mine to tell you, not the evils that make my life hell threatening to tell you before I do".
Speaking to BBC's Radio 5 Live on Wednesday, the 45-year-old elaborated further regarding those evils, saying that a journalist revealed to his parents the details of his condition.
"They love me, they love me, whatever," Thomas said about his parents.
I can never have that time back. I can never have that moment back, to sit down with them and be able explain to them why their son is going to be OK and is going to be able to live through this and live a normal, healthy life.
That person came and took that moment away from me.
Can you imagine someone coming to your door and saying something so personal and so intrusive to you about the thing and the person that you would love and protect through anything?
I can’t, so I can’t really tell you.
But what I can tell you is that I’ve got the best parents on the planet because to this day they stand by me and they believe in me and they believe in what I’m doing now.
Thomas said that he would not have disclosed that he is living with HIV had a tabloid newspaper not threatened to do so first.
"The tabloids will create their own law," said Thomas.
"You’ll send them a letter and all they’ll do is ignore it.
"I haven’t got the money to be able to fight a giant tabloid in court.
"When they do it they’ll somehow find justification for doing it."
"I can never have that moment back."
A journalist told @gareththomas14 ‘s parents about his HIV status before he had. This is what it means to him.
🎧 Listen via @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/HIWZKHwAmJ— BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) September 18, 2019
