Singer Robbie Williams has insisted he did not relapse on cocaine at the World Cup following viral footage of him at the football final.
When the 52-year-old pop star was interviewed at the match, fans spotted a white object fall from what appeared to be his nostril onto a microphone. Williams quickly removed the item and stuck it onto his forehead. He later clarified that the object was Nicorette chewing gum that had fallen from his mouth.
Addressing the controversy during a public appearance on Thursday evening, Williams took a nonchalant stance regarding the online speculation. Speaking at a Q&A for the Autumn/Winter launch of his clothing brand Hopeium at Flannels, the singer insisted he wanted to set the record straight.
"Can I clear something up I didn't relapse with cocaine at the World Cup the internet will be sure that coke fell out of my nose but it wasn't it was Nicorette," Williams told the audience.
He added: "It is a shame but the next day 50 million people saw that I had relapsed at the World Cup, but if I was on coke would it be a problem, who f***ing cares?"
Williams claimed that the misunderstanding had not damaged his reputation, adding: "So many people said good for you Robbie, so I made some new fans because of what they thought I was doing."
Addiction Transfer to Fashion
During the session, Williams spoke about his long battle with drug addiction and explained how his addictive habits have shifted into clothing design.
"I didn't know that I loved fashion in the 90s because I just wore whatever jeans or T-shirt were on the floor," Williams explained.
He described fashion as his new outlet, stating: "This is now my added gene I can't do cocaine, I can't do MDMA, I can't drink so where does the addiction go. And it's gone into clothes and fashion, it's incredibly serious."
Autism Diagnosis and Creative Coping
On the same evening, Williams revealed that he has been diagnosed with "a little bit of autism" and admitted that he continues to struggle with intrusive thoughts. Having previously shared his ADHD diagnosis, he explained that he now uses the neurodevelopmental spectrum condition as a "get-out-of-jail-free card."
"I have ADHD and I just found out I have a bit of autism as well, which I actually f****** love because it explains so much," Williams said. "It is my get-out-of-jail-free card now, and all the weird s*** that I do I just say, 'Sorry, I'm autistic.'"
Comparing the two conditions, Williams observed: "With the ADHD you can completely and utterly concentrate on something 1000 per cent, but with absolutely everything else, you just cannot do it. Ask my kids."
To cope with scary or overwhelming thoughts, Williams explained that he has trained his brain to focus on creative tasks. "What I'm completely and utterly obsessed with is creating images and making funny things, if I'm creating images and funny things, I'm not thinking about me, because my brain is incredibly creative, and it can be creative about everything in the world that you panic about or are scared about."
He offered an example of his intrusive thoughts during a recent flight: "For example, this is how crazy I am, recently, I was sitting on a plane, and I thought 'what if I can have telekinesis and my intrusive thoughts tell the plane to crash itself'. So that's the kind of level of insanity that I'm dealing with, it's best to train my brain to do something better than worrying about having supernatural powers and crashing a plane."
Tourette Syndrome and Substance History
Williams revealed that he has been diagnosed with ADHD three separate times, explaining that he forgot each previous diagnosis. Recalling his first diagnosis around 2006 after researching traits online, he recalled thinking: "all of those things are me. Wow."
After seeking medical treatment in hopes of receiving Adderall, which he described as "medicine that behaved a bit like speed," Williams admitted that he abused the prescription. "There was a relief that I'd got it officially diagnosed, but then also there was more a relief that I was getting 200 of these tablets and then I thought the tablets might fix me because you're always looking for the cure," he said. "So I quickly went from taking the pills to crushing them and snorting them."
In October, Williams admitted that he has also been living with Tourette syndrome. Speaking on the podcast I'm ADHD! No You're Not, hosted by Paul Whitehouse and Dr Mine Conkbayir, he explained how the condition affects him internally.
"I've just realised that I have Tourettes, but they don't come out," Williams said on the podcast. "They are intrusive thoughts that happen, I was just walking down the road the other day, and I realised that these intrusive thoughts are inside Tourettes. It just doesn't come out."
He added that despite performing in front of sold-out crowds for decades, he remains terrified of touring: "Not only that, you would think that a stadium full of people professing their love to you would work as [a distraction], but whatever it is inside me cannot hear it. I cannot take it in."
Background on Neurodiversity and Career
Williams rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of boyband Take That before establishing a solo career that has earned him a record 18 Brit Awards. Throughout his career, the singer has endured multiple stays in rehab for alcohol and drug addiction.
Autism was historically defined as a severe developmental disorder involving intellectual disability and language impairment, but medical definitions have expanded in recent years. Common indicators include repetitive speech or behavior, difficulty with changes in routine, and challenges in social communication.
Key symptoms associated with autism include unusual responses to sensory input, difficulty expressing desires, preferences for solitude, avoidance of eye contact, and challenges in forming interpersonal relationships.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is a neurobiological condition defined by inattentiveness, impulsivity, and short attention span. Tourette syndrome is an inherited neurological condition marked by involuntary physical or vocal tics.
