Alexis Arquette Died From AIDS-Related Complications, Says Former Lover

Both People and RadarOnline have confirmed that Alexis Arquette died from complications related to AIDS, a sobering reminder that we have come a long way in fighting the disease, but it still kills.

"Alexis was living with AIDS and he had an inoperable tumor and he had developed an infection,” Robert Dupont, a former lover, explained to RadarOnline. “I was told that went to his liver and throughout his body.” 

Dupont -- who ran in Andy Warhol‘s social circles and is now an art dealer in Palm Springs -- dated Arquette for several years in the 1990s and told RadarOnline she was placed “in an induced coma” before passing away. 

The transgender actress died Sunday morning surrounded by her family at age 47, her brother Richmond announced on Facebook. 

Dupont, 56, told RadarOnline that Arquette had been having a tough time toward the end of her life. 

“He was working as an artist and living in an Actors Fund home in West Hollywood for people with HIV and AIDS. He hated it. People kept breaking into his apartment and they did alcohol and drugs. Alexis hated that. He never did drugs and he didn’t drink,” said Dupont. “His family offered to have him live with them, but he wanted to be independent.”

Some are saying the family's squelching of the cause of death re-stigmatizes it. Thoughts?

Alexis was certainly one of a kind -- remember THIS?!

UPDATE: It seems Alexis wasn't kidding when he told brother David earlier this year she was going to live as female and male moving forward, as you can see from this photo that was posted on Facebook by a friend a month ago.

Alexis never really fell into the typical transgender category, if there is such a thing. He was a gay man, a gay man who did drag and then a gay man who transitioned, but in her own way. This is just further proof that the transgender umbrella covers a diverse group of people, which should come as no surprise given how diverse all people are.