Tom Kenny is canonizing a popular “SpongeBob SquarePants” fan theory.
Kenny, who has voiced the animated series’ star sponge since the show’s premiere in 1999 and received two Daytime Emmy Awards for his performance, recently confirmed that his character has autism.
“SpongeBob’s kind of on the spectrum, too, as a character,” he said during a May Q&A at Motor City Comic Con in Detroit. Footage of the Q&A reposted Tuesday on X has since gone viral.
During the panel, Kenny recalled the first time he was pressed on the subject: “A person who was obviously on the spectrum came up to me and said, ‘I have a question for you, Tom Kenny, is SpongeBob autistic?’”
He answered, “Of course!” and told the fan: “That’s his superpower, the same way that’s your superpower.”
