How Brendan Fraser Embraced His Autistic Son After Blaming Himself for Years

Brendan Fraser’s son, Griffin, was diagnosed with autism at a very young age, and the actor’s life hasn’t been the same since. The father of 3 has recently been totally honest about the ups and downs of raising a child with a disability. And hearing about his touching journey as a parent made us admire Fraser even more.

He struggled to accept his son’s diagnosis at first.

The 54-year-old admitted that discovering his firstborn’s autism has been a huge challenge to overcome, and he described it as being ’’hit with a baseball bat in the back of the side of the head.’’ He explained, ’’When I found out my kid’s diagnosis at 22 or 24 months, I was crestfallen, to say the least.’’

The actor added that his initial reaction was to ’’blame’’ himself, wondering if his genealogy was the reason behind his son’s autism. However, he eventually learned that autism happens “for reasons unknown.”

Fraser further explained that, at first, he wondered how he could find a remedy for his kid. He noted, ’’I want to know how to fix this. What’s the cure? What does this mean?’’

After all, it was hard for him to accept the reality because he thought, ’’This isn’t the way it’s supposed to turn out.’’

He is fascinated with Griffin.

What was initially a shock for Fraser transformed into unconditional love and endless devotion for Griffin, and he now insists, ’’I wouldn’t have it any other way."

The proud father also said, "This kid has the most joy onboard of anyone I know, and he happens to be related to me as my son.’’ He also explained that he is fascinated by his 20-year-old’s mind and his bright positivity, admitting, ’’I want to know what he thinks is so gut-bustlingly funny all day long in a genuine way.’’

Positivity is what gets him though the tough times.

Fraser acknowledges that as a parent of a kid with autism, he is faced with constant challenges. He explained further that ’’fighting with school boards’’ was one of these hurdles.

The actor continued to admit that many people will also make life more complicated for these parents, but what matters is to stay positive. “You’re going to encounter a lot of really colorful people, and how you navigate that comes down to how much you know that everything’s going to be okay,” the actor said.

His children will always be his priority.

Fraser and his wife went on to have 2 more sons together, now ages 18 and 16. And when asked if their separation affects Griffin, the actor noted that their sons will always come first.

’’Who cares what our problems are with each other? That doesn’t matter,’’ Fraser explained. ’’We do anything and everything in support of this boy’s needs and his brothers’. That’s what I was able to commit to in the most meaningful way.’’

He gives his affection to other kids with disabilities.

Raising a son with a disability allowed Fraser to pay extra attention to other kids with similar conditions because he is aware of ’’how meaningful it is to their families and to them.’’

The actor noted, ’’You know that there’s somebody who needs a little more love, a little more time because they’re autistic or they have Asperger’s [...].’’ Fraser then added, ’’I always, always stop the train to have a moment with them.’’