John Stamos Said He Was “Embarrassed” For The Negative Reactions To His Bald Cap Moment With Dave Coulier
John Stamos received mixed reactions when he wore a bald cap alongside Dave Coulier, who was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
John Stamos addressed the backlash surrounding him wearing a bald cap in photos with Dave Coulier.
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On Nov. 18, the Full House alum posted a series of Instagram photos wearing a bald cap alongside his former costar, who was recently diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
@johnstamos / instagram.com
John captioned the post, “Nothing like throwing on a bald cap and flexing some Photoshop skills to show some love and solidarity with my bro @dcoulier.”
“You’re handling this with so much strength and positivity,” he added. “It’s inspiring. I know you’re going to get through this, and I’m proud to stand with you every step of the way. I love you.”
John’s playful gesture to support Dave during his cancer diagnosis received mixed reactions, with some folks suggesting that it was a “performative act” and others applauding their close bond after all these years.
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In another Instagram post, Dave defended John against the negative comments for not shaving his head, writing, “I’m sorry to see a bunch of negative comments as I’ve just begun my cancer journey,” he began. “It’s our friendship (me and John) and this is how we are handling a very tough time. I’m a comedian and humor is what drives me.”
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“John knows how to cheer me up,” Dave said, adding that he “laughed out loud when he arrived wearing a bald cap – being a true loving friend and brother.”
Dave continued that his intention for sharing his journey is to inspire folks to “check in with their doctors and get mammograms, a colonoscopy or a prostate exam.”
Talking with TMZ, John shared his reaction to the negative comments, revealing how the day played out beyond the pictures and perception of the naysayers. “I flew across the country to be with my brother, right?” he said.
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“As I’m on the plane there, I get a text. My best friend, since I’m 11 years old, dies of a heart attack,” he added. John was referring to his best friend, Mike Owen, who recently died of a “sudden heart attack.” He shared the news in a Nov. 18 Instagram post. “Mike Owen, my best friend since I was 11, was gone,” he wrote. “A sudden heart attack. Just like that. The world I’d built around our friendship shifted, surreal and devastating.”
Yet, while he was processing the news of Mike’s death, John still managed to be there for Dave, who was also going through a challenging time. “But I’m not gonna show that to Dave. I mean, I told him, but I said that’s done, and cried privately,” he continued.
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John explained how he and Dave “laughed so freaking hard” at the bald cap. “He wanted me to come shave his head. I knew before, so I brought the bald cap from the studio.”
As some people expected, John was on a new show and couldn’t cut his hair due to filming obligations. “Regardless, I’m so shocked. First, I’ll say I’m just embarrassed, and they’re embarrassing.”
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“But when I started seeing this blowback, I’m just like, ‘What?’ I couldn’t figure it out. I still don’t know 100%. What they should be doing instead of making silly little videos, or doing comments — they should call their doctor, make an appointment. I think that’s the whole point of this. It’s been Dave’s message.”
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“I don’t look at stuff [online]. I swear most of the time I don’t, but this one really hurt me mainly because I didn’t understand it,” he added.
John reiterated the message that Dave aimed for from the beginning of sharing his cancer diagnosis with the public. “But the point is that I’m embarrassed for people that they waste time on this when all I was doing was cheering up a friend, and I’m sorry — I started to say ‘I’m sorry, I’m not sorry.'”
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“He cried, we laughed, we watched old movies, and we told stories, and I brought videos, and it just was a beautiful thing.”
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On Nov. 20, a BuzzFeed colleague compiled a series of stories (including their own) about “Why You Probably Shouldn’t Shave Your Head For The Cancer Patient In Your Life.” It’s a necessary read to shed light on this situation from all perspectives. “Some patients don’t want their loved ones to shave their heads because they would see it as a sign of what they have also lost,” they wrote. “Personally, when I was in treatment, I lived for the moments that felt ‘normal,’ when I could forget about cancer for a little while. Seeing my loved ones’ scalps would not have been helpful for me — it would have been a constant reminder that things were very much not normal.”
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If you have critical thoughts about John’s bald cap gesture, I suggest you read it.
