NEED TO KNOW
- Ron Funches has announced that he was diagnosed with autism following his experience on The Traitors, calling it “a victory worth sharing”
- The Traitors star and stand-up comedian revealed the personal news on Thursday, Jan. 22, and said his time on the show contributed to him looking into a diagnosis
- “If the end result from me being isolated and feeling misunderstood on The Traitors is that I understand myself and my son more, I consider that a victory worth sharing,” he wrote
Ron Funches has revealed he’s been diagnosed with autism after his time on The Traitors.
The stand-up comedian, 42, shared the personal news on Thursday, Jan. 22, writing on his Instagram Stories that “the internet told me I was autistic and was right,” before crediting the show for encouraging him to explore a diagnosis.
“You win this round. Still not gay. Yet,” he wrote, jokingly. “Thanks @thetraitorsus for helping me find out more about me through some type of cruel trauma.”
Funches then shared another message on Instagram, asking his followers to “please be kind to others even if you’re on a murder-based game show.”
“It’s a game and you never know what people are dealing with,” the Loot star wrote. “Or what they don’t even know they are dealing with.”
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Funches, who was quickly accused of being a traitor early in season 4, responded to a fan who wrote on Threads that they were “ready to GO TO WAR behind the way the ppl in that castle” treated him. He then explained that he “honestly didn’t know I myself had Autism.” The comedian has previously opened up about his experience raising his son Malcolm, 21, who himself was diagnosed with autism.
“I thought I was just an ally and parent of an autistic child but the way I felt I wasn’t being comprehended or understood while I thought I was being direct and seeing some of my own mannerisms made start the process of going to get a diagnosis,” Funches explained of the process in a post from Wednesday, Jan. 21. “But I won’t be comfortable calling myself autistic until my diagnosis is done ❤️.”
He elaborated in a separate post that “if the end result from me being isolated and feeling misunderstood on The Traitors is that I understand myself and my son more, I consider that a victory worth sharing.”
Before making his way to The Traitors‘ round table this winter, Funches has long been an advocate for autism awareness. In 2022, the comedian posted a post in honor of Autism Awareness Day, sharing a snap of himself and Malcolm.
“Happy Autism Awareness Day! Thank you to my son who brought autism awareness into my life, and continually teaches me so much every day,” Ron wrote on Instagram.
“If you have the means, please donate to @nextforautism,” he added. “Their organization is working towards transforming the national landscape of services for people with autism.”
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