Seinfeld backtracks on 'autism' remarks

Comedian, who was blasted for his self-diagnosis, now says ‘I’m not on the spectrum’

By ToI Staff and Renee Ghert-Zand

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20 November 2014, 9:34 pm

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Comedian Jerry Seinfeld backtracked on his recent self-diagnosis of autism on Thursday, saying he was not on the spectrum but only “related to it on some level.”

“I don’t have autism,” Seinfeld said in an interview with Access Hollywood. “I’m not on the spectrum.”

“I just was watching this play about it and … I related to it on some level. That’s all I was saying,” he said.

In early November, in an interview with Brian Williams for NBC Nightly News, the comedian said he believed he was probably on the autism spectrum, drawing criticism from some parents of autistic children.

“I think, on a very drawn-out scale, I think I’m on the spectrum,” he told the news anchor.

When Williams asked Seinfeld, 60, what made him think this, he said that he feels as though he never pays attention to the right things, and that he struggles with basic social engagement.

“I’m very literal; when people talk to me and they use expressions, sometimes I don’t know what they’re saying,” he said.

The comedian, who did not mention having been diagnosed by a medical professional, was quick to add that he does not think of being on the autism spectrum as a disability.

“But I don’t see it as dysfunctional, I just think of it as an alternate mindset,” he said.

Matthew Asner, executive director for Southern California of the autism science and advocacy organization Autism Speaks, welcomed Seinfeld’s comments.

“Jerry Seinfeld has been a champion of the autism community and Autism Speaks for years. The autism spectrum is very broad, representing a diverse community of individuals with a range of talents as well as challenges. There are many people on the spectrum who can relate to Jerry’s heartfelt comments about his own experiences,” Asner told The Times of Israel.

However, others were more hesitant to praise the comedian’s comments, expressing concern that his apparent self-diagnosis could make it more difficult for individuals who have received a professional diagnosis of autism to be taken seriously.