Rob Schneider has bewildered many after making an unusual statement on his social media account.
The comedian is widely recognized for his collaborations with fellow actor Adam Sandler in movies like Little Nicky, 50 First Dates, and Grown-Ups. He also has a few successful solo films, such as The Hot Chick, The Animal, and Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.
Given his extensive experience in comedy films, Schneider is probably accustomed to generating laughs through the characters he portrays on screen.
Recently, however, he has faced some backlash due to a claim he made on Thursday (October 23) regarding the existence of children’s hospitals during his childhood, suggesting that they didn’t exist then.
While some online users assumed this was a joke, others began to ridicule the actor for his statement.
On X (formerly Twitter), Schneider posted, apparently without prompting: “FYI… There were No Children’s hospitals when I was a kid because kids weren’t sick.”
In response, someone promptly corrected him, saying: “I love ya Rob, but I was a frequent flyer to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital back in the 1960s.
“The place has actually been around since 1883, founded by local women to care for sick and injured kids when no one else would.
“Today it’s ranked #1 in the world for pediatric care — a far cry from a new idea. Cincinnati’s been patching up kids for nearly a century and a half.”
Another individual remarked that he seemed ‘somehow dumber than the characters he plays in movies,’ while a third noted that children have been ‘sick since forever,’ mentioning: “They have died of everything from smallpox to typhoid to measles.”
Additionally, another user highlighted organizations like Ronald McDonald House Charities, which support families of sick children undergoing hospital treatment, with the charity operating in various countries, including the US and the UK.
Another pointed out that Schneider, who was born in 1963 in San Francisco, grew up near the Children’s Hospital Oakland, which has been around since 1912.
Moreover, The Journal of Paediatrics indicates that the first medical institution for children in the US, Paris’ Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, was founded in the early 19th century, and institutions like the New York Nursery and Child’s Hospital and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia were established in 1854 and 1855, respectively.
To add to his troubles, a community note was added to his post, stating: “The first Children’s Hospital in the United States was in 1855, and earlier in other parts of the world.”
An earlier community note also highlighted: “Infant mortality was higher in the 1950s-70s, (29.2/1,000 in 1950 vs. 6.1/1,000 in 2010), indicating kids were sick.”
As of now, Schneider has not elaborated on his initial post or addressed the criticism.
Representatives for Schneider have been contacted for comment.