Jack: Dating, HIV, and The Everyday Woman

December 12, 2007

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OUTzone catches up with Jack Mackenroth, as he dishes on Runway, Dale, the other contestants, his HIV status, and much much more.

So, you’re dating Dale from “Top Chef.” How’s that going?
Well the thing that’s so funny for us because the extent of our dating relationship is we hung out for a couple weekends, and we talk on the phone a lot, and I really like him. And we get along really well. I mean he’s hilarious and I’m hilarious. So it just clicked. And to us – we’d both gone through this Bravo craziness, we immediately got each other and have this common ground. It’s weird. We talked about the fact that we’re not even celebrities. Imagine the scrutiny, you know, Brad and Angelina. I don’t know how those relationships survive with all this, but we’re taking it in stride. It’s funny. It’s whatever. Whether this happens to us or not, I don’t think it’s going to have any effect. I think it’s funny that people even care to be honest.

I don’t read a lot of blogs because there some serious crazies out there, but people are happy for us, whatever that means. They say how cute we are. Maybe Bravo will give us our own reality show. Jack and Dale. No. Jale. Something about Chicago.

Does he cook for you?
Everyone asks that. You know, I don’t make clothes for myself and he doesn’t really cook for himself because we do it all day. So I wear jeans and t-shirts and he doesn’t cook at home. So actually no he hasn’t.

Let me ask about the staph infection that brought your time on the show to an end. You’d had this before right?
Yeah – see that’s the thing. They’re not related. I think some people are more susceptible to these infections for some reason. I’m not really sure why. I think my doctor mentioned … some people get them, regardless of any kind of HIV status. I had one about three or four years ago. They give you this stuff to put in your nose and all this crap. I think it was just because we were really run down, and we’re not eating right, and we’re not sleeping. So, as soon as I got it, I kind of knew what it was. Once you have it one time, scarily enough -- it’s getting to be really common. A lot of people have come up to me and said “Oh I had that” or “My friend has had that” and “Thats really awful” and so I kinda knew.

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