Irish YouTuber Jacksepticeye Reveals Autism Diagnosis
Irish content creator Seán William McLoughlin, more known for his YouTube screen name “Jacksepticeye,” announced on Thursday (Oct. 28) that he was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
McLoughlin made the initial announcement on X (formerly Twitter) of his official diagnosis.
I have officially been diagnosed with Autism. I had an assessment a couple of weeks ago about it and got the confirmation today.
— Jacksepticeye (@Jacksepticeye) November 27, 2024
“I have officially been diagnosed with Autism,” he said. “I had an assessment a couple of weeks ago about it and got the confirmation today.”
A follow-up video was then uploaded in YouTube explaining how he understood he is autistic through a formal assessment and diagnosis.
“I got tested because of my own curiosity,” he said. “I just like figuring out how my body is, why I am the way I am, how I … fit into different places in the world, and also just to give myself peace of mind. Because, when I was a kid, I was the outsider, I was weird, I played video games too much on my own, I stayed liking the things that other people didn’t really like anymore….”
Jacksepticeye currently has 30.8 million YouTube subscribers to date, while his girlfriend, Dutch gaming YouTuber Evelien “Gab” Smolders, has 1.19 million.
Jacksepticeye’s Autistic Followers Say YouTuber is “One of Us”
It is understood that McLoughlin was initially diagnosed with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and many social media users in the comments section, as well as in the r/Jacksepticeye and r/Autism subreddits, classified him having “AuDHD,” or someone who is both autistic and has ADHD at the same time.
Aside from surprised and congratulatory comments, many who claim themselves to be neurodivergent, particularly autistic, spammed comments reading “One of us!” referring to the chant in one of the scenes from the 1932 movie “Freaks.”
ASD is a neurological profile where a person’s communication, social, behavioral, and learning skills are different from neurotypical people. While it is detected in early childhood, recent diagnoses come from adults, whether because they have autistic children or they have resonated with autistic adults who were also diagnosed later in life.
Several famous autistic people include Anthony Hopkins, Tim Burton, Elon Musk, Susan Boyle, and JP Laxamana.
McLoughlin Seeks to Make Different Approach in YouTube Industry
Jacksepticeye added that his autism diagnosis strengthened him to “change [the YouTube] industry” through an “evolutionary mindset” of taking care of one’s mental health as a part of success and growth instead of focusing on legacy and personal ambition.
“I wanna change this f***ing industry from people who are obsessed with ambition and legacy,” he explained. “Legacy is just another f***ing word for ego and narcissism.”
It is understood he called out Jimmy “MrBeast” Donaldson in a 2023 Tom Simons video for allegedly ruining the YouTube scene, which was significantly proven when the Ava Kris Tyson allegations came to light in July.
However, he did not mention Donaldson by name when he revealed his diagnosis despite callouts that seemed to refer to the beleaguered internet celebrity.
McLoughlin also took the opportunity to promote this year’s Thankmas charity stream on Dec. 6 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, where he would be the host of the event. It is understood that this year’s event would benefit mental health nonprofits Crisis Text Line and Samaritans.