Scott Adams, the controversial cartoonist behind the satirical Dilbert comic strip, has announced he is now paralyzed from the waist down as his stage 4 prostate cancer advances.
Health Crisis and Presidential Appeal
In a stark video update posted to his YouTube channel, the 68-year-old explained that a tumour located near his spine has critically affected his mobility. "I can’t move any muscles," Adams stated, clarifying that while he retains sensation, he has lost all movement in his lower body.
This development follows his diagnosis earlier in the year of an incurable and aggressive form of prostate cancer, which he revealed in May had metastasised to his bones. At the time, he gave a prognosis of potentially living only until "maybe the summer."
The artist, a vocal supporter of former US President Donald Trump, publicly appealed to Trump for assistance in November. Adams claimed an issue with his health insurance provider, Kaiser of Northern California, was delaying access to a newly approved cancer drug.
Trump and Kennedy Jr. Respond to Plea
Donald Trump responded on his Truth Social platform within hours, attaching a screenshot of Adams's post with the message: "On it!" The US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also weighed in on social media, writing: "The President wants to help."
Adams said the President hoped to pressure the insurance company to approve his treatment plan. "I will ask President Trump if he can get Kaiser of Northern California to respond and schedule it for Monday," Adams had stated.
In his latest update, Adams shared that medical staff are working on a "solution" to transfer him to a facility for radiation therapy targeting the spinal tumour. "They’re gonna try to radiate that pesky tumour that’s around my spine," he said, expressing hope it might restore some strength to his lower body.
A Career Marred by Controversy
Adams is best known for creating Dilbert, a comic that gained massive popularity in the 1990s for its cynical take on corporate office culture. However, his career faced severe backlash in 2023.
Hundreds of US newspapers dropped the Dilbert strip from syndication after Adams delivered a racist rant about Black people on his YouTube show, 'Coffee with Scott Adams'. The cartoonist has since suggested that his vocal support for Trump damaged his career, reducing his income by an estimated 40 percent and his social circle by 75 percent.
Adams revealed he is living with the same aggressive form of cancer as current US President Joe Biden. His health continues to be a central focus as he navigates treatment delays and a significant loss of physical mobility.
