Amy Schumer reveals inspiring reason she spoke about husband’s autism diagnosis

'I just wanted to encourage people to not be afraid of that stigma'

Amy Schumer has revealed why she chose to talk about her husband Chris Fischer’s autism on her latest Netflix special, Amy Schumer: Growing.

In the hour-long stand up show, the 37-year-old comedian says she “knew from the beginning” that Fischer’s brain was “a little different” from hers, describing him as “on the spectrum” for autism spectrum disorder.

Now, speaking to US TV host Seth Meyers on his namesake talk show, Schumer explained that she wanted to open up about her husband’s diagnosis in order to tackle some of the stigma surrounding autism.

“It’s been totally positive,” she told Meyers. “I think a lot of people resist getting diagnosed… because of the stigma that comes along with it.

“But you’re not just diagnosed and then they throw you out,” the I Feel Pretty star continued before praising the medical support her husband has been offered.

“The tools that we’ve been given have made his life so much better and our marriage and our life more manageable. So I just wanted to encourage people to not be afraid of that stigma.”

Schumer went on to say that she suspects many people with autism “go undiagnosed”, which she suggested is unfortunate given how many resources there are out there to support patients.

“He’s an amazing guy,” she added.

In the comedian’s Netflix special, which is based on her pregnancy, Schumer explains how the qualities and traits that her husband has a result of his autism “are all of the reasons [she] fell madly in love with him.”

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others, the National Autistic Society (NAS) states.

An autistic person experiences their surroundings differently from others, which can impact their communication skills and their ability to relate to the people closest to them.

As the name suggests, autism is a spectrum condition meaning that while all autistic people share certain difficulties, they can also experience the condition in different ways.

You can read more about autism spectrum disorder here.