Ron Funches revealed he has autism after his tumultuous journey on The Traitors.
“Well the internet told me I was autistic and was right,” Funches, 42, wrote via his Instagram Story on Thursday, January 22. “You win this round.”
Funches name-dropped the hit Peacock series, adding, “Thanks @thetraitorsus for helping me find out more about me through some type of cruel trauma. Still not gay yet.”
The comedian previously used his platform to raise awareness and understanding of the neurodivergent community after his son Malcolm, who is now 21 years old, was diagnosed with autism.
Ron Funches’ Family Guide: Meet His 2 Kids, Ex-Wife and Mystery Girlfriend
In a follow-up post, Funches elaborated on still waiting until his “diagnosis is done” before referring to himself as autistic.
“I honestly didn’t know I myself had Autism I thought I was just an ally and parent of an autistic child,” he wrote via Threads on Wednesday, January 21. “But the way I felt I wasn’t being comprehended or understood while I thought I was being direct and seeing some of my own mannerisms made start the process of going to get a diagnosis.”
Season 4 of Traitors, which premiered earlier this month, was full of ups and downs for Funches. After convincing the cast to send Real Housewives of Atlanta alum Porsha Williams home despite her being a Faithful, Funches was accused of being a Traitor. His friendship with Donna Kelce, who was revealed as the Secret Traitor early in the game, also didn’t help his case.
Funches continued to have his name brought up as an option for banishment at every roundtable. He was sent home during Thursday’s episode, but the group was divided between him, Lisa Rinna and Colton Underwood.
Along with Malcolm, Funches is also the father of 3-year-old son Teddy, whom he shares with ex-wife Christina Dawn. He’s been outspoken through the years about advocating for his eldest child.
Celebs Who’ve Revealed Their Autism Diagnosis: Nathan Sykes and More
“Happy Autism Awareness Day!” Funches wrote via Instagram in April 2022. “Thank you to my son who brought autism awareness into my life, and continually teaches me so much every day.”
In a clip from his stand-up routine shared three years later, Funches gushed over how “proud” he is of Malcolm. “He’s got great discipline, and I don’t know where he got it, because I never disciplined — I didn’t know how,” he said.
Funches also admitted that he struggled with his son’s diagnosis at first.
“Especially having a teenager and having someone have autism, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know what was teenager related. I didn’t know what was autism related,” he continued. “I don’t know which of these things made him download 60 episodes of The Price Is Right, but I know that’s not normal.”
He continued: “The Price Is Right is a fine show, but it is the same damn show every day. I’m like, ‘Son, did you need to fill the entire DVR with Price Is Right? He’s like, ‘I’m just trying to keep season stats, dad.’ I’m like, ‘OK, so, it’s the autism. Carry on.’”
New episodes of The Traitors air Thursdays on Peacock.
