SpongeBob SquarePants voice actor confirms character’s autism

Tom Kenny, the actor who voices SpongeBob SquarePants, has officially announced that the beloved sea sponge has autism.

Despite starting out as a Saturday morning cartoon character, SpongeBob SquarePants has risen to become a renowned figure in popular culture. Throughout the 14 seasons of the show, the small yellow fry cook has amassed significant success and even received recognition through his own Xbox and a cameo in Super Bowl LVIII.

Despite being on the air for numerous years, SpongeBob still has a strong and engaged fan base who continue to discuss the show and develop theories. One popular subject of discussion is the possibility of SpongeBob being on the autism spectrum, with fans debating the topic on platforms such as Reddit.

During a Q&A session at the 2024 Motor City Comic Con in Detroit, Tom Kenny, the voice actor of SpongeBob SquarePants, publicly confirmed the character’s Autism. A clip of the session was later uploaded by ToonHive’s X account, where Kenny explained his reasons for this revelation.

Tom Kenny responds to claim if SpongeBob is autistic:”Yes, of course he is! That’s his superpower the way your superpower is.” pic.twitter.com/dkAWkw2bRR

— ToonHive (@ToonHive) July 23, 2024

At the Motor City Comic Con Q&A, Kenny recounted the moment he had previously disclosed that SpongeBob was on the spectrum to a fan.

During the event, he informed the audience that SpongeBob’s character also falls on the spectrum. This was the first time he had been approached with such a query. A person, who appeared to be on the spectrum, approached me and asked, “Tom Kenny, I have a question for you. Is SpongeBob autistic?”

Kenny remembered responding to the fan by saying, “Of course.”He then added, “You know what? That’s his superpower, just like it’s yours.”This statement from Kenny was met with applause from the crowd during the Q&A session.

Initially surprised fans were taken aback before acknowledging “Actually, that explains a lot”. Those who had previously theorized about SpongeBob’s possible autism welcomed the confirmation. One individual commented, “I’m glad it’s finally been confirmed.”