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David Byrne Says He May Be on the Autism Spectrum in Louis Theroux Interview

He describes mild traits, crediting collaborative music with improving his social skills.

Overview

  • Speaking on The Louis Theroux Podcast, Byrne said he first considered the possibility in the 1990s after reading about the spectrum.
  • He recounted missing implied refusals in conversations, noting he sometimes failed to read facial expressions or tone as a clear no.
  • Byrne emphasized he does not view these traits as a disability and said years of making and performing music have helped him become more socially fluent.
  • He discussed accountability for a decades-old blackface video, saying he "self-cancelled" and later spoke with Spike Lee about the incident.
  • He is touring behind his album Who Is the Sky?, has recently performed "Psycho Killer" live for the first time in 19 years, announced 2026 festival dates, and continues to rule out a full Talking Heads reunion.