Jerry Seinfeld Walks Back Comments About Being “On the Spectrum” After Backlash

In a 2014 interview with NBC News, Jerry Seinfeld casually remarked that he "might be on the spectrum" after seeing a play about autism—an offhand comment that quickly drew criticism. Without a formal diagnosis, Seinfeld’s self-comparison to people with autism came across to many as dismissive and self-centered, especially from someone with immense privilege and no known lived experience of neurodivergence. Rather than raising meaningful awareness, Seinfeld’s comment risked trivializing what it actually means to live with autism—a condition that affects communication, behavior, and social interaction in real, often challenging ways. His vague self-assessment, dropped into an interview as a quip, felt less like advocacy and more like appropriation. After public backlash, Seinfeld walked back his claim, stating he did not consider himself autistic. But the damage was done: his remark reflected a broader pattern among celebrities using mental health and neurodiversity as buzzwords without engaging with the communities they reference. For someone with such a massive platform, his lack of responsibility was glaring. This moment exposed how neurodiversity is still too often misunderstood, co-opted, and reduced to a quirky personality trait—especially when filtered through the lens of celebrity ego.