EXCLUSIVE: Stevie Wonder’s Heartbreaking History of Being Forced Into Denying He’s Blind

Stevie Wonder has declared: “Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it’s allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth.”

RadarOnline.com can reveal the 75-year-old music legend was speaking on stage in Cardiff, Wales, during the UK leg of his Love, Light and Song tour on July 10 when he directly addressed the decades-old conspiracy theory that he is not actually blind.

The Superstition singer took a moment to confront the speculation that has followed him for most of his life by concluding with a calm but powerful statement to his adoring crowd: “You know the truth.”

But we can reveal it is only the latest in a string of incidents in which the disabled crooner has been forced to publicly deny cruel rumors he can secretly see — which sources tell us are like a “knife to his heart.”

The soul icon — born Stevland Hardaway Judkins — was diagnosed with Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) as an infant. Caused by excess oxygen in the incubator used after his premature birth, the condition led to a detachment of the retinas and permanent blindness by the time he was just six weeks old.

Despite this, he rose to fame as one of Motown’s most gifted child stars, becoming a symbol of musical brilliance and resilience.

Still, rumors about his sight have persisted, fueled by offhand celebrity comments and viral gossip.

One widely shared moment came in 2019 when former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal claimed Wonder had somehow recognized him in an elevator.

Actor Anthony Anderson also joked about the rumor during a 2016 interview with Stephen Colbert, saying: “What y’all don’t know is, Stevie can see. It’s just an act.’”

While likely said in jest, such comments have continued to feed public doubt. But Wonder, long known for his grace and introspection, chose to face the rumor head-on.

In fan-shot footage circulating online, he told the crowd in his latest denial he can really see that being blind has given him a unique perspective, saying: “To see people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?”

A longtime friend and former collaborator, who asked not to be named, said the rumors have deeply frustrated Wonder over the years.

They added: “Stevie’s handled these strange claims with grace over the years, but it’s taken an emotional toll.

“It’s exhausting to constantly defend something so personal — something that’s been central to who he is and the music he creates — just because people choose to believe in a conspiracy.”

In his 2024 The Wonder of Stevie audiobook series, Wonder reflected on how his mother, Lula Mae Hardaway, struggled in the early days after his diagnosis. He recalled her crying each night and how, as a young boy, he tried to comfort her.

“‘Mama, you shouldn’t cry, you’re making my head hurt,’” he told her at the time, adding that he thought: “Maybe God has something for me that’s bigger than all this.”

The Grammy winner has repeatedly spoken about how his blindness shaped, rather than limited, his creativity.

In a 1975 interview with The New York Times, he said: “It’s played a part in that I’m able to use my imagination… to write words about things I’ve heard people talk about.”

And in 2012, speaking to The Guardian, he summed up his attitude to his disability by saying: “I never thought of being blind as a disadvantage. I am what I am. I love me!”