"He's posing for a photo op" — John Stamos faces backlash as netizens call out star over bald cap solidarity post for Dave Coulier
John Stamos faced backlash for wearing a bald cap in support of his co-star Dave Coulier, who is battling cancer. On November 18, Stamos shared Instagram photos of them, including one of him shaving Coulier’s head and another of him and Coulier’s wife Melissa kissing Coulier’s newly shaved head.
However, what caught netizens’ attention was Stamos sporting a prosthetic bald cap, as evident from the caption of his post.
“Nothing like throwing on a bald cap and flexing some Photoshop skills to show some love and solidarity with my bro @dcoulier. You’re handling this with so much strength and positivity — it’s inspiring. I know you’re going to get through this, and I’m proud to stand with you every step of the way. I love you,” he wrote.
John Stamos further gave a shoutout to Melissa Bring Coulier and called her Dave’s “true lifeline” and “most wonderful-est” wife.
Amid this, Stamos is facing criticism for donning a bald cap, despite his seemingly good intentions. For instance, Instagram user @jettann commented directly on Stamos’ Instagram post and slammed him by writing:
“So, he’s not really supporting him. He’s posing for a photo op.”
Many people joined the conversation and shared similar reactions on the social media platform, X, mocking John Stamos.
“Lol he said ‘You ain’t that important for me to shave my hair,’” a person wrote.
“Lmao he was like ‘Yeah sorry for your cancer, but I like having hair,’” one person wrote.
“Why pose with a fake bald scalp? Clout. Not solidarity,” wrote another.
Others continued to call out the General Hospital actor.
“Real friend would’ve shaved his real hair off,” a netizen wrote.
“This might be the top ‘touch grass’ moment in history,” another netizen wrote.
Meanwhile, some people pointed out that if Dave was okay with his friend’s gesture, the rest of the world didn’t really have a say in it, adding that John may need to keep his hair due to work commitments.
“People need to lighten up, just because John just wore bald cap doesn't mean he doesn't care about his friend Dave... perhaps John can't shave his hair for real cause work?” an individual wrote.
“If Dave appreciated it, what’s the issue?” a user asked.
"Omg some ppl are so dramatic; if Dave is cool with it then you shouldn't have a problem with it," wrote another.
So far, John Stamos has not responded to the backlash.
Dave Coulier and John Stamos appeared together in Fuller House
During the November 13 episode of the Today show, Dave Coulier shared that he was diagnosed with stage 3 Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma five weeks ago in October.
“In that time, I've had three surgeries, I've had chemo, I've lost a little bit of hair. I kind of look like a little baby bird now, but it has been a roller coaster ride for sure,” the 65-year-old shared.
He further told the interviewer Hod Kotb that he was fighting an “aggressive” form of B-cell lymphoma which spread “very quickly.”
"The onset of this growing lymphoma in my groin area was very quick. So, I said, 'Ah, something's not right. I have a golf ball down here.' And they said, you know, we wish we had better news for you, but you have B-cell lymphoma, we need to get you into chemotherapy right away," Dave shared.
Coulier added how the most difficult part was sharing the news with his wife, Melissa. However, since his treatment began, the cancer has not spread. Therefore, he had a “90 percent” chance of getting it cured.
Elsewhere during the interview, Coulier shared how he was undergoing chemotherapy and was listening to his body through the journey. He also shared how he is expected to be in remission by February next year. Dave urged people to get early screening such as breast exams, colonoscopy, or prostate exams, for early cancer detection.
Later, he also shared the news on his podcast Full House Rewind and an interview with the People Magazine. Dave Coulier even mentioned sending out a group text to his Fuller House co-stars.
In the wake of this, his longtime friend and ‘90s sitcom co-star John Stamos offered his support. He took to Instagram on November 13 and shared a carousel of pictures of both of them.
“My brother from day 1. Love you @dcoulier and I'll be by your side through it all,” Stamos captioned his post.
Dave Coulier replied, “I love you and can’t wait to see you tomorrow!!!”
During his People Magazine interview, Dave Coulier even recalled his "brother" John Stamos telling him how he would be there by his side through the cancer journey, even if it meant simply sitting by his side while he slept, listening to music together, or simply have a conversation.
Andrea Barber, Candace Cameron Bure, and Brad Garrett were among the other celebrities who also showed their support and solidarity to Dave Coulier.
Fuller House ran on ABC from September 1987 to May 1995. In the sitcom, John Stamos played the role of Jesse Katsopolis, while Dave Coulier was his best friend, Joey Gladstone.