NEW DELHI, INDIA FEBRUARY 13: An Indian nurse carries out a test for HIV/AIDS during an event to mark International Condom Day in New Delhi. (Photo by K Asif/The India Today Group via Getty Images)
An Instagram model who has been linked to numerous celebrities nearly died from AIDS after going untested for almost a decade, according to her recent TikTok confession.
Gena Tew, who has been linked in the past with the likes of Nick Cannon, Chris Brown, and Chief Keef, spoke about her experiences in a video posted on Monday, telling her followers that she doesn’t know when or how she contracted HIV which led to her condition.
She noted her doctor said it had to have been in her system for at least eight to ten years.
In a video shared to TikTok, Gena also exhibited photos from an October 2015 outing with Nick Cannon captured by paparazzi.
She previously modeled for Breezy owned clothing brand Black Pyramid, with Chris Brown sharing her photo on his Instagram page.
In December 2015, the model shared she had been hanging out in LA and NYC around Nick and Chief Keef.
Out in LA chilling with the chief keef. Then heading back to nyc for my bday to chill with nick cannon. Life
Tew, who is also an entertainer, has not confirmed having intimate relationships with any celebrities she’s claimed to know.
While answering questions with followers, Tew revealed she hadn’t gotten tested for HIV or AIDS during an eight to ten year period, and only got tested once the symptoms became noticeably debilitating.
The popular TikToker did hesitantly admit that she had been raped several times when she was homeless and living in New York City, and hinted at that being the likely cause of her infection.
The heavily inked IG model added that she had also received several free tattoos, with the blood-borne illness known for being spread through needles.
“Could it have been a dirty needle? I don’t know. Do I know those people? No. Did I say anything when those things happened? No. Because I was naive and I was stupid and I was young.”
The 27-year-old also said she lost a lot of weight from the virus, at one point getting down to as low as 65 pounds. She had to undergo physical therapy just to get her body back into serviceable shape, she said.
Based on her age, she must have contracted AIDS between the ages of 17 and 19, according to her doctor’s assessment.
“I got so weak in the first days of knowing I had AIDS… I could barely focus and strained to talk,” she captioned a video, which showed her looking gaunt in a hospital bed.
She also lost sight in one eye and the ability to walk due to the virus, however with physical therapy she has since regained mobility on her own.
Tew modeled for The Cover magazine back in 2015, and is also a singer by trade. She’s covered such songs as Adele’s “Hello” and released a rendition of Alina Baraz’s “Electric Song” in early 2018.
The Brooklyn based model, who’s known for her distinctive throat tattoo, had previously booked big gigs with retailer Dolls Kill, according to a 2018 profile by Inked Magazine.
Those interested in getting tested for AIDS and HIV can locate testing centers nationwide here.
