During a stop on his Love, Light and Song U.K. tour, Stevie Wonder directly addressed a persistent and bizarre rumor that has followed him for years: the claim that he is not actually blind. Performing in Cardiff, Wales, the legendary artist took a moment between songs to put the speculation to rest with grace and a perspective that reflects his lifelong commitment to truth and compassion.

“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,” Wonder told the audience. “You know there have been rumors about me seeing and all that? But seriously, you know the truth.”

He continued with a more serious tone, explaining that he lost his sight shortly after birth due to complications related to being born prematurely. “That was a blessing,” he said. “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 color they are, but what color is their spirit?”

It’s not the first time Wonder has addressed the outlandish speculation about his blindness. Over the years, he has approached the topic with a mix of wit and resilience. In a 2015 interview on The Late Show With David Letterman, he jokingly offered a list of supposed “perks” of being blind, including the ability to pretend not to see something when you actually can. The segment was met with laughter, but also served to reinforce the idea that Wonder has long embraced humor as a way to defuse ignorance and redirect attention to what really matters.

The rumors, often circulated on social media and forums with little regard for fact, have ranged from speculative to outright offensive. Despite his decades of fame, 25 Grammy Awards, and international recognition as a pioneer of soul, pop, and R&B, Wonder has occasionally found himself the target of conspiracy theories. But his comments in Cardiff made it clear: he’s not interested in defending the obvious.

In 2024, Wonder discussed his life and early struggles in The Wonder of Stevie podcast, a wide-ranging conversation with journalist Wesley Morris and former President Barack Obama. Reflecting on his childhood, he described how his mother initially struggled with his condition. “My mother went through different things, and so my experience with that was deep,” he said. He recalled overhearing her cry at night and eventually telling her, “Mama, you shouldn’t cry, you’re making my head hurt.”

It was during that time, as a child, that Wonder developed the outlook that would shape his life and career. “Maybe God has something for me that’s bigger than all this,” he remembered saying. “History proved that true.”

Indeed, Stevie Wonder’s story is far more compelling than any internet theory. Born Stevland Hardaway Judkins in 1950, he became blind due to retinopathy of prematurity. By age 11, he had signed with Motown Records, and by 13, he was topping the Billboard charts. Over the next six decades, he would help define the sound of a generation and use his platform to advocate for civil rights, disability awareness, and humanitarian causes worldwide.