SpongeBob SquarePants is autistic, according to his voice actor, Tom Kenny.
According to Complex, Kenny made the revelation at a fan event in Michigan.
An X user called @dominodeergirl shared the clip early this week, where Kenny says:
“It was the first time I’d ever been asked this question. You know, a person who is obviously on the spectrum came up to me and said, ‘I have a question for you, Tom Kenny. Is SpongeBob autistic? Is SpongeBob himself autistic as a character?’ I said, ‘Yes, of course.’ I said, ‘Of course he is.’ And I said, ‘You know what? That’s his superpower, the same way it’s your superpower.'”
The SpongeBob Voice Actor First Spoke On The Character & Autism In 2012
In a 2012 interview, Kenny revealed the character was “a little autistic.”
Kenny also loved how the animation could connect with “kids that are on the autism spectrum.”
When discussing the 25-year-old series’ legacy, Kenny revealed that it maintained its popularity because of a “rare harmonic convergence.”
“I don’t notice the passage of time. You’re just working and then the next thing you know, you’re having the 10th anniversary and then the 15th anniversary and then the 20th anniversary, and you’re going, ‘Wow, SpongeBob has got legs,’ you know?'”
Early this month, the SpongeBob and Patrick Star characters were invited to host the Kids’ Choice Awards.
The anniversary celebration continues this week with a 25th anniversary panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego.
