by Larry FitzmauriceBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI'm a writer and editor who lives in Brooklyn, New York, and I've written for a variety of publications across the last 20 years, including The New York Times, The Guardian, GQ, New York Magazine, Pitchfork, The Fader-the list goes on. Tim Gunn - who you know from his prior hosting gig on the iconic reality TV show Project Runway - is getting real about his personal history. NBC / Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images During a recent appearance on Chelsea Handler's Dear Chelsea podcast, Tim revealed that he's been celibate for 43 years - and the reason is actually pretty sad. "I had a very serious nine-year relationship in Washington, DC, and I loved this person deeply and would have done anything for him," he said. "And I still remember the night that it all ended." Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Amazon Studios The fashion icon went on to recall that his ex told him while they were watching the classic TV show M*A*S*H. in bed together, "I have no patience for you any longer. I want you to leave." "I had my own apartment, but I had been living with him for years, and I left," he recalled. "I drove to my apartment on Rock Creek Parkway, and I had to pull off because I was hyperventilating. I was beside myself with self-flagellation and self-pity, and it was awful." Sylvain Gaboury / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images "One of the things that he told me that night was that he'd been sleeping with just about everything that walked by, and I had been loyal and faithful to him. He was the only person I'd ever been with." Ilya S. Savenok / Getty Images Tim went on to recall how his feelings of self-pity eventually turned into "unbridled anger." "I thought he may have given me a death sentence," he said, referring to the newly emergent AIDS crisis at the time. Tim says he was tested every six months for HIV over the course of the next 10 years as a result, and thankfully tested negative every time. Jim Spellman / WireImage Regardless, the experience lingered with Tim, and it affected his romantic life permanently as a result. "Whenever I was even tempted to engage in something that could become serious with someone, all this would come back like Niagara Falls, and it would just take the desire away," he admitted. Mike Coppola / Getty Images Tim also said that adjusting to his status as "someone who lives alone" was initially "a bit of an adjustment" - but now, he "wouldn't have it any other way." Laura Cavanaugh / Getty Images And, honestly, it's good to know what works best for you, especially if it leads to a happy life in the end. You can listen to the entire interview here. Are you someone who's decided to live a life of celibacy? Tell us about your experience below, and you may have your comments featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed article: Comments