How old was Rob McElhenney when he had his neurodivergent diagnosis? Actor shares positive impact of his condition on marriage with Kaitlin Olson

Wrexham AFC v Charlton Athletic FC - Sky Bet League One - Source: Getty
Rob McElhenney opens up about neurodivergent diagnosis (image via Getty)

Rob McElhenney, while speaking to Variety in a cover feature published on May 21, revealed that he was 46 when he was diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities.

The It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia actor mentioned that his neurodivergent diagnosis helped him get clarity about "a lot of questions" he had about his life. Rob McElhenney, during the feature piece, also opened up about how his wife, Kaitlin Olson, reacted to the diagnosis and showed him support.

"And how unsuccesful I was at so many things for so long, like school. I was a terrible student."

However, Olson, while speaking to Variety, mentioned that while the diagnosis helped Rob gain clarity, it had a positive impact on their marriage,

"The neuro psych called me and had a long discussion with me and was asking me all these questions. Rob's an amazing person and my best friend and my life partner, and he's the best. He's also really hard to live with sometimes, and it was nice to have some answers."

Olson recalled the time they were dating and said that in hindsight, there were a lot of clues of Rob being neurodivergent,

"Looking back, even when we were dating, there would be times where I'd be like, 'That's f***king weird. What is this thing that's going on."

"You're not stupid. You're not 'bad'" - says Rob McElhenney

Wrexham AFC co-owner and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney initially announced news of his neurodivergent diagnosis in July 2023. Rob took to X and opened up about being diagnosed at 46 and reminded people that they're "not alone."

"I was recently diagnosed with a host of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities! At 46! It's not something I would normally talk about publicly but I figured there are others who struggle with similar things and I wanted to remind you that you're not alone. You're not stupid. You're not "bad." It might feel that way sometimes. But it's not true :)."

After his post went viral and received a positive response from his audience, users took to the comment section to share similar stories. Elsewhere in the interview, Rob McElhenney also spoke about his best friend Ryan Reynolds' legal battle with Justin Baldoni. Rob co-owns Wrexham football club with Ryan and mentioned that the couple have chosen to stay silent about the legal battle for so long since it's their "way of staying connected and navigating something together."

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Edited by Sroban Ghosh