“My husband is on the autism spectrum” mum-to-be Amy Schumer explains
The new special Amy Schumer: Growing is due to hit Netflix today and there’s a part in it where Amy sheds a little more light on her marriage (amidst a lot of other talk about pregnancy!)
“I really want to get this right”
The show was shot in Chicago and as Amy dived deeper into chatting about life with her hubby Chris Fischer, she struggled to find the words to explain it with clarity.
“I knew from the beginning that my husband’s brain was a little different than mine,” the comedian tells the assembled punters.
“I have to start this over because I really want to get this right because I love him very much.”
She then swapped specifics for that initial vague statement because euphemisms aren’t anywhere near as helpful as simply being open and honest.
“My husband was diagnosed with what used to be called Asperger’s,” Amy continued. “He has autism spectrum disorder. He’s on the spectrum. And there were some signs early on.”
Read more stories about Amy:
- Amy Schumer shares brilliant photos of herself pregnant – and in the nuddy
- Pregnant Amy Schumer vomits through second trimester due to severe hyperemesis
- Newlywed comedian Amy Schumer is expecting her first baby
“He keeps it so real”
Amy says that this autism diagnosis – which seems to be quite recent – made a lot of sense and in fact many of the characteristics that come with autism were what attracted her to Chris in the first place.
“Once he was diagnosed, it dawned on me how funny it was, because all of the characteristics that make it clear that he’s on the spectrum are all of the reasons that I fell madly in love with him,” she explained.
“That’s the truth. He says whatever is on his mind. He keeps it so real. He doesn’t care about social norms or what you expect him to say or do.”
It’s a glimpse inside their relationship that is frankly heartening for us all. So often we might feel that we need to uphold some kind of ‘normal’ or ‘neurotypical’ veneer. But the truth is that everyone comes with their own uniqueness and it takes many different forms.
Talking about how human we are – and what makes us US – is a brilliant idea.
“Courageous and beautiful”
Amy’s credited much of her pregnancy sanity and health to Chris. She’s suffered acute hyperemesis gravidarum throughout every trimester, vomiting hundreds – almost thousands – of times since she conceived.
“Thank you to my husband, Chris who has kept me going during this pregnancy,” she said in a post on Instagram.
“His willingness and desire to be open with the world about himself and our marriage is courageous and beautiful. He makes me laugh more than anyone and he laughs at me more than anyone. I am more than grateful to have found such an amazing partner and best friend. I’m shocked. I didn’t think this love was out there for me. But it was and it is and I can’t wait to spend my life with you and our growing family.”
