Celebrity2 min(s) read
Published 09:19 14 May 2026 GMT
In a sell-out show last year, legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder put to bed the long-standing conspiracy that he is not actually visually impaired.
Addressing the conspiracy in a heartfelt speech to the audience in Cardiff, Wales, Wonder said: “I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking ‘When did I want to let the world know this?’
"But I wanted to say it right now.
“Seriously, you know the truth.”
After joking with the audience, he declared: “Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind,” he added.
“Now, that was a blessing because it’s allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight.
“See people in the spirit of them, not how they look.
"Not what colour they are, but what colour is their spirit?”
Wonders’ setting of the record straight was a long time coming as the ‘Superstition’ singer, who lost his sight shortly after birth, began teasing fans almost ten years ago that he will eventually 'reveal the truth' about his sight.
In 2017, Wonder was interviewed by TMZ and asked whether he would ever star in a reality TV show.
He responded that it would be 'too invasive'.
Then, he claimed that he had flown planes twice before and actually landed one.
The reporter then joked that Wonder might one day come out and say he can actually see, leading Wonder to say (most likely in jest): “This year, I will reveal the truth”.
Wonder was born premature and went blind shortly after.
Later, at six weeks old, he was diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) due to too much oxygen in his incubator.
The condition occurs when blood vessels 'swell and grow too much in the light-sensing tissue at the back of the eye', according to the Mayo Clinic.
The overgrown vessels can sometimes slowly scar the retina and pull it out of place, causing retinal detachment, which can 'harm vision and cause blindness'.
During the recording of the Wonder of Stevie audiobook series with Wesley Morris and President Barack Obama, Wonder made a rare comment about his childhood.
He said: “I was born. Shortly after that, I’m blind.”
“My mother went through the different things, and so my experience with that was deep.”
He recalled hearing his mom cry 'every night', until he told her, 'Mama, you shouldn’t cry, you’re making my head hurt.'
