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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Amy Schumer made the “getting a superpower” comparison during an April 2022 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, while talking about her husband Chris Fischer’s autism diagnosis. It was a joke about their relationship and how understanding the diagnosis had affected them—not a medical description of autism or a claim about every autistic person.
What Amy Schumer said about Chris Fischer’s diagnosis
On The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 20, 2022, Schumer said, “What happens when you get diagnosed with autism is it’s like getting a superpower. All of his behaviour is kind of excused now.” The report’s example was Fischer walking away when someone tells a long, boring story. The Independent reported the remark, and E! News covered the interview.
The line works as personal humor: Schumer was describing a change in how she understood some of her husband’s behavior after learning he was autistic. It should not be read as saying autism excuses behavior across the board, or that an autism diagnosis makes every action harmless.
Why Schumer had already discussed autism publicly
Schumer spoke about Fischer’s autism spectrum disorder in her 2019 Netflix special Amy Schumer: Growing. In her account, she had noticed differences early in their relationship and said traits she associated with his being on the spectrum were also among the reasons she fell in love with him. The 2019 coverage repeated her use of “high-functioning”; that is her wording in that context, not a label used here.
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In a March 2019 interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers, Schumer explained why they chose to talk about the diagnosis. As UPI reported, she said, “We both wanted to talk about it because it’s been totally positive.” She added, “The tools that we’ve been given have made his life so much better and our marriage and our life more manageable.” Those statements describe the couple’s experience; they do not establish that diagnosis or any particular support will have the same effect for someone else.
What the “superpower” comparison does—and doesn’t—mean
Schumer’s remark is best understood as a punchline rooted in her account of their marriage, not as a definition or general claim about autism. Autism spectrum disorder affects people differently, and autistic people have individual strengths and challenges. The CDC’s information for autistic teenagers and adults emphasizes that variation.
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Likewise, Schumer’s joke about behavior being “excused” does not amount to a general rule about accountability. It describes her humorous way of talking about understanding Fischer; it is not clinical guidance about how to interpret another person’s actions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can adults be diagnosed with autism?
Yes. The CDC says adult evaluation can involve medical history, observation of behavior, and psychological tests. Diagnosis may be more challenging when information about early development is unavailable. An adult diagnosis is a clinical process, not something established by a celebrity’s description of a spouse.
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For scale, a CDC-reported study estimated that 2.21% of U.S. adults aged 18 and older were autistic, using 2017 data. The estimate ranged from 1.97% in Louisiana to 2.42% in Massachusetts; these are study estimates based on that data year, not a current head count. See the CDC page on adult prevalence.
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