Neurodiversity dictates how people's brains operate and behavior, explaining disorders and conditions such as autism and ADHD. Surprisingly, the two conditions also carry strengths and qualities that enhance an individual's achievement in different fields. Several public figures have been vocal about their experiences of having autism or ADHD, advocating for mental health awareness and acceptance of neurodiversity.
List of 20 celebrities who have autism/ADHD
From actors like Anthony Hopkins, who had Asperger's syndrome, to Michael Phelps, who excelled as an Olympian despite his ADHD diagnosis, these celebrities have shifted the narrative about neurodivergence. By sharing their journeys, they remind us that neurodivergence does not even bar one from success but is sometimes a power booster for creativity and innovation.
These 20 celebrities showcase the diverse perspectives contributing to progress in various fields.
1. Tallulah Willis
Tallulah Willis announced on Instagram that she had been diagnosed with autism. Tallulah, 30, joked, "Tell me you're autistic without telling me you're autistic." In the video, she can repeatedly rub her dad's head while he grins for the cameras.
Tallulah opened up about her diagnosis in the comments below the post, where she recounted how she had learned she had autism as an adult.
"This is the first time I have publicly shared my diagnosis. This summer, I learned, and it changed my life," she wrote.
2. Sia
Pop icon Sia, whose full name is Sia Kate Isobelle Furler, disclosed that she was diagnosed with autism. On a May 2023 episode of the Rob Has A Podcast podcast, she said, "I'm on the spectrum."
Though Sia didn't precisely pinpoint when she was diagnosed with autism, she mentioned that it was a recent discovery. She said:
"For 45 years, I was like, 'I've got to go put my human suit on', and only in the last two years have I become fully myself."
She added that knowing which kind of neurotypicality also helped her live a more authentic life.
3. Emma Watson
Emma Watson portrays Hermione Granger in Harry Potter. She has addressed the UN and is passionate about gender equality concerns. She has been prescribed medication for her ADHD, which she started taking when she was nine years old.
Emma recalled how it made concentrating very easy for her, saying:
"It helps me organize my day because I have so much going on, and it allows me to focus a little bit more when working on it."
4. Elon Musk
During a TED Talk, billionaire businessman Elon Musk discussed how he has learned to work with his brain rather than against it. While speaking about life on the autism spectrum, he said,
"I didn't have such a happy childhood, frankly. It was pretty tough,"
In describing how autism affected him in his younger years, Elon said,
"Social cues weren't intuitive. Other people could intuitively know what something was meant to be. I would take something literally as if words were exactly what they meant. But that, of course, was wrong."
Although he was brutally bullied when he was little for being autistic, the founder of Tesla credits part of his success to the condition since this fueled his intense and specialized interest in science and technology. He stated:
"I found it rewarding to spend all night programming computers, just by myself," he said. "Most people don't enjoy typing strange symbols into a computer alone all night. They think that's not fun. But I liked it."
5. Christine McGuinness
In her autobiography, TV personality Christine McGuinness discusses her adult autism diagnosis, describing it as both "emotional" and "a relief." More recently, in the documentary Unmasking My Autism, Christine said she realized after being diagnosed "why I am the way that I am."
For all her diagnosis and a better understanding of herself, she had to break off her marriage to presenter Paddy McGuinness later.
"As an autistic woman, I like to stay where I'm comfortable; I like things to stay the same," she said at the time. "I know I've stayed in a place where I was probably unhappy because it was safe, and I don't like change, and ultimately, I wanted to keep my family together."
She continued:
"I understand myself better now because that's where I was comfortable knowing it was me, Patrick, and the children – but sometimes change has to happen. You have to deal with it in the best way possible."
6. Melanie Sykes
Melanie Sykes is another celebrity who discovered her autism later in life. Melanie took to Instagram to make public her news of a diagnosis at 51 years:
"This week has been life-changing. Or rather, life-affirming."
After she was diagnosed,
"so many things made sense." "I cannot begin to tell you the sense of relief this is for me and how much I celebrate this diagnosis," she added. "I now have a deeper understanding of myself, my life, and the things I have endured."
7. Greta Thunberg
Greta Thunberg, an activist against climate change, believes her autism has sparked her enthusiasm. At just eighteen, she is TIME magazine's youngest Person of the Year and has received two Nobel Peace Prize nominations.
Referring to her diagnosis, she said,
"It helps me to see things from other people's perspectives. I can spot lies without quickly swallowing them. I would never have started this school boycott if I were like everyone else."
8. Wentworth Miller
Actor Wentworth Miller, renowned for the popular TV series Prison Break, announced on social media in 2021 that he had been diagnosed with autism.
I don't know enough about autism. (There's much more to learn),", he wrote. "Today it feels like my work looks like it is evolutions of understanding. Seeing half a century of living now through different eyes.".
He said he would draw knowledge from the autistic community and hoped to give a voice to the community. Interestingly, the actor shared how he struggled even to get a diagnosis when he was an adult compared to being a child:
"This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. A self-diagnosis preceded it. Followed by a formal diagnosis," he said. "It was a long, flawed process needing updating. IMO. I'm a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old."
9. Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle, the singing sensation from Britain's Got Talent, has been open about her Asperger's Syndrome diagnosis over the years, which the NHS says is a term "used by some people to describe autistic people with average or above average intelligence." Susan, 62 years old, was diagnosed not before her fifties.
She had been declared brain-damaged as a child.
"I was given a wrong diagnosis when I was a kid. Now it is a label," she said in an interview in 2013, just after announcing she was on the spectrum.
She added:
"Now I have a clearer view of what is wrong and am relieved and a little calmer about myself..."
Speaking about what prompted the need to get a diagnosis, she said:
"I consulted for a diagnosis from an expert. No one instructed me to. I felt as though I had a terrible disease and could not act intelligently."
10. Anthony Philip Hopkins
Sir Anthony Hopkins, the Oscar-winning actor, openly spoke about his late diagnosis of Asperger's syndrome in a 2017 interview, adding that he was "high end". He candidly talked about how the neurodivergent condition contributed to his challenged relationships with his family members, stating:
“I think being on the spectrum made me a loner,” he says, adding “I could never settle anywhere. I was troubled and caused trouble, especially in my early years.”
11. Will.I.am
The successful singer-songwriter will.i.am has been very open about his creative process and his ADHD diagnosis. In a July 2023 episode of The Diary of a CEO, he openly talked about his creativity and struggles living with ADHD. He said,
"One thing I have learned about ADHD is that you can't focus, you can't sit still, and you're constantly moving and thinking about so many other things. But the same qualities are helpful when I'm in brainstorming sessions and studios."
12. Simone Biles
Simone Biles is a story of perseverance and hope for everyone with ADHD. She is the greatest gymnast of all time and is transparently open about her diagnosis of ADHD and the problems she encountered.
Biles opened up about her ADHD diagnosis after medical documents indicating she was on ADHD medication leaked in 2016. She told ESPN:
“I have ADHD and have taken medication for it since I was a child… having ADHD, and taking medication for it is nothing to be ashamed of nothing that I’m afraid to let people know.”
13. Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is the Olympic athlete with the most medals. He was diagnosed with ADHD at 9. His mother talks about how, as a young swimmer and student, he overcame and used his ADHD symptoms to his advantage.
In a 2017 publication by Sports Illustrated, Phelps narrated his experiences growing up as a neurodivergent kid and how he has come to appreciate it as his "biggest thing." He said:
“It’s something that I’m thankful happened, and I’m thankful that I am how I am,” he says. “I look at myself every day and I’m so proud and so happy of who I am and who I was able to become.”
14. Daryl Hannah
Daryl Hannah faced challenges due to her autism but gradually embraced her uniqueness and found ways to thrive in her performing arts career. In a 2013 publication, she candidly talked about her diagnosis as a child and doctors insisting on institutionalizing her against her mother's wish.
Hannah further added how the condition made her "horribly shy and isolated," and how acting saved her, saying:
"I wasted too much time scared, self-conscious, and insecure," Hannah says of her battles. "Life is too short to stress the small things anymore."
15. Bill Gates
In addition to being a prominent figure in technology, Bill Gates has ADHD. In interviews, he frequently spoke about his school problems due to the condition, which made him quit college and work on sideline projects that eventually founded Microsoft. He has admitted severally to struggling with ADHD symptoms.
16. Eminem
Eminem, the legendary rapper, has experienced bullying at school because of his autism. He described himself as shy and clumsy. The words in Wicked Ways are:
"Ever heard of Aspergers? It's a rare condition. You suffer from it when you don't care if it's an eighty-degree day and there's no Fricke air conditioning."
17. Tim Burton
Tim Burton, a world-famous film director known for his unique style, has traits of ADHD and autism. Mr. Burton often talks about how his view affects his thoughts and ideas. The depiction of such unusual characters and miserable places demonstrates how one with a neurodiverse brain could create art and entertainment for the public and, while doing so, reveal the imagination of others.
18. Woody Allen
Though not officially diagnosed, Allen and some experts suggest he could be in the autism spectrum. Moreover, he was quoted saying,
“I am a neurotic in a more benign way. I mean, I have a lot of neurotic habits. I don’t like to go into elevators, I don’t go through tunnels, I like the drain in the shower to be in the corner and not in the middle."
19. Courtney Love
Courtney Love, the widow of Kurt Cobain, is a singer and a controversial figure in pop culture who is autistic. Courtney always found school difficult, whether it was in school or socially.
She said in an interview with Rolling Stone in 1994 that When I talked about being introverted,
"I was diagnosed as autistic. At an early age, I would not speak. Then, I bloomed. My first visit to a psychiatrist was when I was, like, three."
Curiously, her late husband, Kurt Cobain, was also neurodivergent; the singer was diagnosed with ADHD in childhood.
20. Dan Aykroyd
The well-known actor and comedian from Ghostbusters, Blues Brothers, and Saturday Night Live has always been candid about his mental health. Speaking about the condition, Dan said:
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"I was diagnosed with Tourette's at 12. I had physical tics and nervousness and made grunting noises, and it affected how outgoing I was...So am I, with Asperger's. I can survive with it. It did not get diagnosed until 1980 when my wife convinced me to visit the doctor."
For Dan Aykroyd, things were different. His talents were enhanced by being an AS." "Of course, one of my symptoms was an obsession with ghosts and police," says Dan Aykroyd. Like most artists, he fixates totally on his obsession, taking that to the point of the writing of Ghostbusters.
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