‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ star Rob McElhenney says he has been ‘diagnosed with a host of neurodevelopmental disorders’

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney revealed this week that he has been diagnosed with “a host of neurodevelopmental disorders and learning disabilities.”

McElhenney, 46, said on social media Tuesday that he is sharing his diagnosis to remind others who were diagnosed with similar conditions late in life that “you’re not alone.”

“It’s not something I would normally talk about publicly but I figured there are others who struggle with similar things,” McElhenney wrote. “You’re not stupid. You’re not ‘bad.’ It might feel that way sometimes. But it’s not true.”

McElhenney added that he plans on discussing his diagnosis and prognosis in an upcoming episode of The Always Sunny Podcast, which he appears on alongside fellow It’s Always Sunny stars Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. That episode will be released in two weeks.

Neurodevelopmental disorders include a variety of conditions such as autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disabilities, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to research recently published in the Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience journal. Those conditions are often first diagnosed during infancy, childhood, or adolescence.

McElhenney has discussed his health publicly several times in recent years. In 2018, for example, he opened up on social media about his fitness journey from his role as “Fat Mac” in It’s Always Sunny in 2011 to the ripped physique he showcased in the show’s 13th season.

“Get the personal trainer from Magic Mike, sleep nine hours a night, run three miles a day, and have a studio pay for the whole thing over a six- to seven-month span,” McElhenney wrote on Instagram. “I don’t know why everyone’s not doing this. It’s a super-realistic lifestyle and an appropriate body image to compare oneself to.”

In 2021, McElhenney spoke about his mental health with Broad City star Ilana Glazer in Interview Magazine, saying that he practices transcendental meditation and exercises regularly.

“Not to sound too woo-woo, but exorcising the demons through actual sweat alleviates so much anxiety and stress,” McElhenney said. “And I truly feel better. But, yeah, the closest thing I have to a spiritual practice would be [transcendental meditation].”

Last year, McElhenney said that he and star Ryan Reynolds, who he co-owns the Welsh football club Wrexham AFC with, underwent colonoscopies after a bet. As part of the bet, Reynolds agreed to allow his colonoscopy be filmed if McElhenney learned to speak Welsh.

That video was later uploaded to Reynolds’ YouTube account in partnership with colon cancer awareness group Lead From Behind as a way to encourage screenings for people 45 and older. In it, both stars are filmed in the hospital getting the procedure done, and doctors found and removed three polyps from McElhenney’s colon.

McElhenney will return to Philadelphia this fall as part of a tour for The Always Sunny Podcast, which stops at the Mann on Sept. 23.