Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

As every year passes, I’m hearing about more and more celebrities that are on/suspected to be on the spectrum. So this week I’d like to continue on from my previous 3 posts on the subject and let you know about some more autistic celebs:

Bella Ramsey

The Last of Us non-binary actor Bella Ramsey has been in the news over the last few weeks disclosing their diagnosis after a crew member picked up on autistic traits. This person had a daughter with autism and assumed that Bella had also been diagnosed, sending them on their diagnosis journey, ultimately confirming what they had always wondered about.

Here’s a clip of Bella discussing how their diagnosis has made them a better actor:

Emma Langford

Irish singer-songwriter Emma Langford was diagnosed with autism at the age of 32. After getting involved in a fundraiser for autism charity As I Am during the pandemic, she started to do some research and noticed that she related to many of the experiences of autists. In retrospect after receiving her diagnosis, she noticed that all her songs were about the autistic experience as she used music to express the feelings that she couldn’t understand. The diagnosis has made her past clearer and the future brighter as she finally knows there is a place for her in the world, she just works a little differently.

Lee Ryan

Having recently watched the BBC documentary Boybands Forever, I did some ‘where are they now’ searching and discovered that Lee Ryan of Blue fame has been diagnosed with autism (Asperger’s syndrome) and ADHD in his forties. Of his diagnosis Lee wrote on Instagram:

‘I’ve struggled with various things since I was a child, but these things weren’t really known about back then or spoken about. What it means for me is that I have a high IQ but my brain works in a different way to others. For all the kids and adults out there who are going through the same thing, there’s nothing wrong with you. You might be very clever, highly creative – have highs and lows, but you might deal with social situations differently from others. You might react differently, particularly to sounds, sights, smells and even touch. People might think you’re being rude, difficult or chaotic. This is going to sound a bit weird but I’ve always hated the wind, the way it feels on my skin when it hits you. I’m particularly sensitive to touch, so when someone does that and I’m in a stressful situation then I might react quickly. There is so much I’m learning about myself and a lot is starting to make sense.‘

You can see a brief clip of him discussing his diagnosis below:

@leeryanmusic
Thank you @Duncan James and #gmb for sharing this piece #autismawareness #autism #bekind @Official Blue @blueitalia
♬ original sound – Lee Ryan

Abz Love

Sticking with British boybands, I again discovered post watching Boybands Forever that Abz Lov (Richard Abidin Breen) from the band Five was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome as an adult. Abz disclosed his diagnosis in 2013 after a stint on Celebrity Big Brother following encouragement from his CBB housemate Sophie Anderton. Of the diagnosis, Abz has said “It’s a personal thing but it makes it difficult for me in certain scenarios when people want the sparkly bright Abz all the time.” Abz struggled with addiction after Five first broke up and even went through a period where he paid people to be his friends 😢

Tylan Grant

Trans actor Tylan Grant (child of vocal coach Carrie Grant who I discussed in my previous post) was diagnosed with autism at the age of 7 and at age 16 made history becoming the first black actor to portray an autistic character in the British soap opera Hollyoaks.

You can see Tylan discuss his experience with autism in this interview:

Jess Kidd

London-Irish author Jess Kidd was diagnosed with autism in her late forties after one day her daughter asked “Mum, do you think you might be autistic?” She told her that she would look into it, likening the diagnosis process to the X-Factor where you keep getting through to the next round. She has embraced the diagnosis as a positive and advocates for awareness around the female experience of autism.

Josh Thomas

Australian comedian Josh Thomas was diagnosed with autism at 33 (and ADHD at 28), ironically after he had created the TV show ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Okay‘- a show that was celebrated for having a realistic autistic lead character played by Kayla Cromer who is herself on the spectrum. The diagnosis confirmed a nagging suspicion he had always had and described it as a positive experience that has helped him to better understand himself and for the people around him to do the same.

You can see an interview with him discussing his diagnosis in the video here:

Jacksepticeye

Irish Youtuber Sean McLoughlin (better known by his handle Jackscepticeye) was diagnosed with autism in 2024 having been previously diagnosed with ADHD. In the midst of his ADHD journey after medication didn’t work, he started to read about the overlap with autism and the penny started to drop, so he sought a diagnosis to satisfy his curiosity.

You can see him chatting about his diagnosis in the video below on his channel:

Tom Stoltman

The world’s strongest man Tom Stoltman was diagnosed with autism at the age of 8. He often felt very isolated as a young man and struggled in school with bullies and teachers who told him he wouldn’t go anywhere in this life. For him, autism initially felt like a burden often wondering why him? His attitude has since drastically changed, now viewing it as a superpower. Going to the gym completely changed his perspective, allowing him to see how useful his autistic traits like hyperfocus can be in his training regimen.

You can see him discuss his experience of autism in the video below:

Neil Gaiman

Controversial English writer Neil Gaiman has lowkey discussed that he was diagnosed with autism in posts on Twitter and Tumblr describing his experience as “From my point of view, it’s both my super powers and it’s my kryptonite. Your mileage (as they say sensibly) may vary.” However, he is currently embroiled in legal proceedings regarding multiple sexual assaults, and some people are trying to use autism to excuse his behaviour…. Let’s move on!

Damien Haas

Actor and writer Damian Haas, best known for his work with Smosh Games on YouTube, has openly discussed being diagnosed with autism, ADHD and OCD. He has described his diagnosis as a characteristic part of who he is, emphasizing that it is not something to be fixed, it’s just the deck of card’s he’s dealing with.

You can see him discussing his AuDHD here:

Bobby Fischer

Chess prodigy and grandmaster Bobby Fischer has long been in the subject of debate as to whether or not he was on the spectrum. Psychologist Rueben Fine has said “Some of Bobby’s behavior is so strange, unpredictable, odd and bizarre that even his most ardent apologists have had a hard time explaining what makes him tick“. However, he could also have been schizophrenic or had paranoid personality disorder which can be co-morbidities with autism, so take from that what you will.

The Founding Fathers

While we cannot officially diagnose them, historical records about the Founding Fathers of America suggest that they may have all been neurodivergent in some way or another showing signs of ADHD and autism. Just have a quick look at this summary short and you’ll see what I mean:

Taylor Swift?

Okay, now this one maaaaay be a stretch, but some psychologists have speculated that based on her public demeanor, dating history, food habits, stimming behaviours and her music that Taylor Swift is likely autistic. A lot of fans have been debating whether or not this could be true, especially as her music resonates quite strongly with some autists. Then again most people resonate with her music so who knows 🤷‍♀️

Hope you enjoyed this post dear Earthlings!

Have a lovely weekend! 🙂

Aoife

Greetings Earthlings! 🙂

As neurodivergence is increasing in popularity, more and more celebrities are divulging their autism diagnosis/spectrum suspicions. Leading on from my previous two posts about celebrities with autism, it’s time for part 3 of this series.

David Byrne

The eccentric former front man of new wave band Talking Heads identifies as being on the autistic spectrum (he’s specifically mentioned Asperger’s syndrome). In interviews, David has talked a lot about his social struggles and see’s autism as a superpower that has allowed him to hyperfocus on all of his musical projects. However, David has not been professionally diagnosed.

Fern brady

Scottish comedian Fern Brady has been very open about her autism diagnosis and how stand up comedy has really helped her. She finds it very reassuring having her comedy routine set so that every night she stands up and says the same words to her audience. Outside of comedy she spends a lot of time, like many maskers, rehearsing what she is going to say to people. She recently wrote a book about her experiences and diagnosis journey Strong Female Character. Here’s a clip of Fern talking about the book and her experiences of autism:

James McClean

Republic of Ireland and Wrexham footballer James McClean, like many adults, discovered he was autistic after his daughter was diagnosed. He noticed similar traits and pursued a diagnosis, going public during autism awareness month 2023 to support his daughter, and attributes his success in football to his specialist interest in the sport.

Sam Thompson

British TV personality Sam Thompson was diagnosed with autism, tic syndrome and ADHD in 2023 as part of a Channel 4 documentary. Sam said: “I’ve always known there was something slightly different about me, but it’s only since I’ve started to ‘adult’ a bit more that I’ve wanted to figure it out, because a lot of symptoms were getting worse.”

Bradley Riches

Heartstopper actor Bradley was diagnosed with autism at the age of 9 and has written a children’s book called ‘“A” Different Kind Of Superpower‘ to help kids celebrate their neurodivergence. Bradley recently’ opened up about his experiences of autism during his stint on Celebrity Big Brother and how living in the Big Brother House can be challenging, but he is determined to push through with his coping mechanisms to enjoy his time on the show.

Tallulah Willis

This week, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, Tallulah Willis revealed that she was diagnosed with autism in 2o23, saying that the diagnosis has changed her life. She made the announcement by sharing a video on Instagram from the red carpet with her father as a child where she is stimming on his ears.

Carrie Grant

British singer, vocal coach and TV presenter Carrie Grant was diagnosed with autism as an adult in 2023 at the age of 58. All of her children are neurodivergent and for many years people had been asking her when she was going to be assessed herself.

Holly Madison

Former Playboy bunny Holly Maddison opened up about her autism diagnosis which she received as an adult in the last couple of years. “The doctor told me that I have high executive functioning, which means I can pretty much go about my life and do things ‘normally,'” Holly said. “I think because I’m more quiet, I’ve only recently learned to make eye contact. I’m often in my own thoughts, things like that, so people take that as offensive. … I’m just not on the same social wavelength as other people but don’t take it personally.”

Kanye West

Supposed texts between US rapper Kanye West and Elon Musk shared online have claimed in recent months that Kanye thinks he has autistic traits after a car crash 20 years ago and that he is not Bipolar after all. Now this is an interesting one as autism is a lifelong condition, not just something that happens after a car crash (not to mention that having autism doesn’t preclude you from having Bipolar as the two conditions are often co-morbid). It’s quite possible that Kanye is indeed on the spectrum as his behaviour can be quite erratic and impulsive (throwback to interrupting Taylor Swift to praise Beyoncé at the VMAs), but this is also consistent with Bipolar on it’s own. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting one to keep an eye out for- perhaps he will seek a formal diagnosis going forward.