Actor Tom Kenny Reveals SpongeBob SquarePants Has Autism

Your favorite sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea has had superpowers all along.

the actor Tom Kenny It was recently announced that SpongeBob SquarePants, a character he has voiced since the show began airing on Nickelodeon in 1999, has autism and is “kind of on the spectrum” as a character.

Tom revealed this during a Q&A session at Motor City Comic Con in Detroit earlier this year, where he recalled a previous interaction he had with a fan on the matter.

“This was the first time I was asked this question,” he explained in a video posted by a fan. “Someone who was clearly autistic came up to me and said, ‘I have a question for you, Tom Kenny. Is SpongeBob autistic? Is SpongeBob himself autistic as a character?’”

Tom recalls telling the fan, “Yes! Of course!” “Of course he is.”

But Tom didn’t stop there, pointing out, “You know what? That’s his superpower, the same way it’s your superpower.”