Jenny McCarthy: Denis Leary is "Stupid"

“Whoo! First of all, let me tell you, the autism community has received probably 10,000 emails [saying] ‘Go kill him!’ ‘Go yell at him,’” McCarthy, 36, told Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush.

“[But] it’s so hard to even get up enough juice in me or energy in me to even try to fight someone that is obviously stupid.”

Autism activist McCarthy is featured in the current issue of Us Weekly discussing how her son recovered from the brain-development disorder that impairs a person’s ability to communicate.

Leary, 51 — whose book was quoted in newspapers as saying people diagnosed with autism are “stupid. Or lazy. Or both” — issued a statement to Us October 16, saying his words were taken out of context.

“I thought I made my feelings about autism very clear: that I not only support the current rational approaches to the diagnoses and treatment of real autism but have witnessed it firsthand while watching very dear old friends raise a functioning autistic child,” he says.

Still, McCarthy is not moved by his explanation.

“This community has been through so much and to compare and use the word ‘dumb-ass lazy’ with autism, it’s just not fair. Mind you, I have not read his chapter that he has said he has been misunderstood,” she says. “So I can’t comment too much.”

McCarthy isn’t the first celebrity to respond to Leary’s words. Holly Robinson Peete, who has an autistic son, told Us, “Autism is not a good punchline.”

See another adorable photo of Jenny and her son, Evan.

For more on the specific ways McCarthy helped her son recover from autism and how beau Jim Carrey supports her, pick up the newest issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.

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