Singer Chrisette Michele has shared that she was recently diagnosed with autism at age 42.
The singer, who now hosts an eponymous podcast on YouTube, posted a pair of photos of herself on Instagram recently and said that she only just learned that she was on the spectrum. "I just learned I'm autistic," she wrote. "Official diagnosis. They used the word 'Severely.'"
She also took a moment to explain why she's been relatively quiet on social media recently. "I've been outside," she continued. "Singing... but learning to strip the mask. One show at a time (the irony). Just... coming to grips with a lot and giving myself room to take it all in. My life and its challenges finally make sense. So so much sense. Autistic. Would you get a load of that... I'll talk more soon. Just wanted to say hi... from stage side."
Michele has been relatively quiet in the years since she faced backlash for performing at Donald Trump's inauguration in 2017. She attempted to defend her decision to perform for the Republican president, but was later dropped by her label as a result. She also said that her family "disowned" her because of it.
In an appearance on The Breakfast Club shortly after the inauguration, she explained that there was "no hesitation" when it came to accepting the invite to perform, even though she was "confused" about Trump's campaign rhetoric.
