John Stamos is defending himself after facing intense backlash for wearing a bald cap to support his Full House co-star Dave Coulier in his cancer journey.
“I'm so shocked. It's embarrassing,” he told TMZ at Los Angeles International Airport this week when asked about that response.
“What they should do is instead of making silly little videos or commenting, they should call their doctor and make an appointment — like that's the whole point of this,” he added. “It was Dave's message.”
“I'm embarrassed by the people who waste their time on this,” Stamos, 61, continued. “All I was doing was encouraging a friend.”
The “You” actor also said that he and Coulier, 65, had an “incredible” time together as they laughed, cried, watched old movies and told old stories.
Collier announced that he was diagnosed with stage III non-Hodgkin's lymphoma on November 13 and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. He is expected to complete his six rounds of treatment in February 2025.
After the announcement, Stamos helped Collier shave his head and wore a bald cap while doing so.
“Nothing like throwing on a bald hat and showing off some Photoshop skills to show some love and solidarity with my brother @dcoulier,” he captioned a series of photos earlier this week.
“You're handling this with so much strength and positivity, it's inspiring. I know you'll get through this, and I'm proud to stand with you every step of the way. I love you.”
Despite the lighthearted nature of the post, people were quick to fill the comments section with hate, with one person calling it “superficial” and another calling the gesture “insulting.”
Many others wondered why he hadn't already shaved his head.
While speaking with TMZ, Stamos implied that he couldn't shave his hair because he had a “new” project starting in a week.
Although trolls have wreaked havoc on Stamos over how he handled Coulier's request, Coulier himself assured people that he's pleased with the bald hat.
“It's our friendship… and this is how we're dealing with a very difficult time,” he wrote on Instagram on Tuesday. “Humor is what drives me.”
He added: “I laughed out loud when he arrived wearing a bald hat – being a true loving friend and brother.”
He also noted that he lost his mother, sister and niece to cancer, and said that laughter and positivity were how they dealt with bleak scenarios.
In an interview published by People Wednesday, Collier described his diagnosis as “a really fast roller coaster ride.”
“I went from 'I had a little bit of a cold' to 'I have cancer,' and it was very confusing,” he explained.
He also said he “wouldn't try to hide anything.”
“I would rather talk about it, open the discussion and inspire people,” he said.
