A Georgian man knowingly transmitted HIV to his wife, who died 2 days after diagnosis. Now several women are revealing alleged affairs

Surviving cancer twice should have given Denise Broadie a chance to enjoy life again. Instead, the Georgian woman continued to struggle with unexplained health problems. When doctors discovered what was wrong, he only had two days to live.

Her husband, Cleveland Broadie, knew something she didn’t. Prosecutors said he lived with HIV for years without telling his wife. And Denise wasn’t the only woman who had no idea about her diagnosis.

According to Law&Crime, Cleveland, 64, has now avoided a murder trial thanks to a plea deal. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison, but will only serve eight years in prison, despite already facing two murder charges.

What his family discovered changed everything

Denise Broadie married Cleveland in 2014, unaware, prosecutors say, that he had been HIV positive since 2006. Authorities said he never revealed his diagnosis, even as his wife faced serious health challenges.

Denise was first diagnosed with cancer in 2017 and successfully entered remission. When the disease returned in 2019, she fought it again and survived. However, his health continued to deteriorate, leaving his family searching for answers.

She had been hospitalized several times and those close to her believed her persistent illness was cancer-related. Eventually, further testing at another hospital revealed something they didn’t expect. Denise had AIDS, the most advanced stage of HIV infection.

The diagnosis came on March 31, 2022. Two days later, on April 2, Denise died of pneumonia and respiratory failure related to HIV/AIDS, according to her death certificate. Doctors reportedly believed the infection had gone undiagnosed and untreated for years.

Her daughters, Karen Young and Tammy Hammonds, said their mother had no sexual relations with anyone other than Cleveland. They also clarified that Cleveland was not their biological father.

The family struggled to convince authorities to investigate. Young later credited local investigative reporting with bringing attention to the case and moving the investigation forward.

“We fought tooth and nail to get attention and get the police to investigate,” Young recalled.

The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office eventually arrested Cleveland for reckless driving involving exposure to HIV. But the investigation does not stop with Denise.

After the affair became public in 2023, several women came forward about their relationships with Cleveland. Two of them claimed that he had unprotected sex with them without revealing his HIV status.

Prosecutors later argued that Cleveland deliberately hid his diagnosis, failed to take his medications regularly and continued to have unprotected sex with his wife and other women.

His defense attorney disputed the allegations about Denise’s knowledge, saying Cleveland disclosed his HIV status to her in writing before their marriage. His family rejected this explanation.

The case ultimately resulted in five charges against Cleveland, including malice murder, felony murder and three counts of reckless driving. At a hearing in May 2025, his bail was set at $1.5 million.

On October 7, 2026, Cleveland pleaded guilty to three reckless driving charges. Both murder charges were dismissed as part of the deal, ending the possibility of a murder trial in the case.

Although sentenced to 15 years in prison, Cleveland must serve eight years in prison. After his release, he must leave Rockdale County, avoid contact with the victims and their families, share his medical records with his probation officer and continue his HIV treatment.

This case also highlights the importance of raising awareness about HIV and combating misconceptions about AIDS. After all, infections can go unnoticed for years, as Denise’s case demonstrates.

For Denise’s daughters, the agreement finally allowed them to turn the page after years of seeking responsibility. “Our main goal was to hold him accountable and we did that,” Hammonds said.

Young expressed similar relief, saying the family could finally begin to properly mourn their mother. She also hoped that the public attention surrounding Cleveland’s case would help other women know his story before getting involved with him. “I think she’s proud that we were successful and got justice for her and the other victims,” Young said.