21 Stars Who Lost Their Lives To AIDS

While many people live normal and healthy lives with HIV, the horrible truth is that AIDS has claimed the lives of almost 40 million people since the outbreak of the epidemic in the early 1980s. Like any other disease, AIDS also knows no race, sexual orientation or social status. These are the most famous celebrities who have put a face on HIV/AIDS and eventually lost their lives to AIDS-related conditions.

Here are 21 stars who lost their battle with AIDS:

1. Gia Carangi

Although there were successful models before Gia Carangi’s breakthrough, there was no such thing as a supermodel prior to her success in the fashion world. When she was discovered, Gia blew the minds of everyone she worked with – and, at one point, everyone wanted to work with her.

She appeared on the covers of some of the most influential fashion magazines in the world and worked with some of the biggest fashion houses in the industry. Gia also attracted a lot of attention because she dated women and had affairs with female designers, make-up artists and photographers.

She rose to unprecedented stardom before turning 23, but fame and fortune took their toll on her. Gia started using heroin and contracted HIV, dying of AIDS-related complications at the age of 26. She was one of the first planetary famous women to succumb to the disease.