Rugby Star Agrees to £75,000 Payment but Maintains Innocence
Former Wales rugby captain Gareth Thomas has settled a legal dispute with an ex-partner who accused him of “deceptively” transmitting HIV. Ian Baum brought the case against Thomas in the High Court, claiming the rugby star concealed his HIV status and failed to take precautions to prevent transmission.
Under the terms of the settlement, Thomas will pay £75,000 plus legal costs, but he has clarified that this does not constitute an admission of liability, asserting his innocence regarding the allegations. Thomas described the claims as “meritless.”
Baum, who was in a relationship with Thomas from 2013 to 2016, alleged that he was HIV negative at the start of their relationship. He recounted noticing Thomas taking pills from unlabelled containers, which he was told were multivitamins. After researching the pills, Baum discovered they were an HIV antiviral medication called GSK1, leading him to seek an HIV test that confirmed he was positive.
Court documents stated that Baum suffered significant physical and psychological harm due to the alleged transmission. They also noted that had this information been made public, it could have severely impacted Thomas’s reputation, given his advocacy for LGBTQ issues.
The legal firm representing Baum, McCue Jury and Partners, remarked, “Ian stood up for himself against the odds. Ian is looking forward to putting this unpleasant chapter of his life behind him.”
In response to the settlement, Thomas commented on Twitter about the financial implications of personal injury cases, explaining that the risks for the accuser are minimal, while defending himself in court would have been costly. He emphasised that the resolution is beneficial for his mental health and that of his family.
Gareth Thomas, who earned 100 caps for Wales and played in four Rugby World Cups, made headlines in 2009 as the first openly gay rugby player. He publicly disclosed his HIV status in 2019 and has since worked to raise awareness about the condition, serving as a patron for the Terrance Higgins Trust charity.
