Wales rugby legend Gareth Thomas sued after ex-partner gets HIV

Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas has been accused of 'deceptively' transmitting HIV to an ex-partner.

Ian Baum has alleged Mr Thomas failed to inform him he was HIV positive, and of 'failing to take reasonable care' to ensure he did not transmit the disease. Mr Baum is suing Thomas, who won 100 caps for his country and captained them to the 2005 Grand Slam, for £150,000.

Thomas, who also won international caps in rugby league, retired from both codes in 2011, two years after publicly coming out as gay. Mr Baum claims he was then in a relationship with the British Lions star between 2013 and 2016.

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According to a report by the BBC, Thomas is 'strongly contesting' Mr Baum's claims. Daily Star Sport has reached out to his representatives.

According to court papers, Mr Baum declared himself HIV negative when his relationship began with Mr Thomas, also known as 'Alfie'. However, it is alleged he later found out Mr Thomas had tested positive when he saw a tablet marked GSK1.

"On googling the GSK1 pill, the claimant discovered that the defendant was taking antiviral HIV medication," the documents said. Mr Baum is then alleged to have made his own appointment for a HIV test, duly testing positive.

It is claimed he called Mr Thomas for an explanation and according to the documents, the former Toulouse, Cardiff, and Bridgend player was 'very repentant and apologetic', adding: "The defendant pleaded with him to keep his HIV status secret, the claimant agreed and the relationship continued."

Mr Baum claims that Mr Thomas then used coercive and controlling behaviour towards him in order to prevent his HIV status becoming public knowledge. He said the ordeal caused him 'serious physical and psychological injury'.

It is alleged Mr Thomas 'portrayed himself as a spokesperson for HIV without ever disclosing that he deceptively transmitted HIV to the claimant in 2014'. In 2019, just a day after revealing he was living with HIV, Thomas completed Ironman Wales in Tenby

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