Last week, Dave Coulier announced that he’d been diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. (NHL is a form of blood cancer that begins in your lymphatic system.) He told Today that what led to him getting tested was discovering a “golf-ball sized” lump in his groin that popped up about a week after he’d had a cold. In the past, he’d notice swollen lymph nodes while he was sick, but never to that extreme. Thankfully, Dave’s form of cancer is treatable. Because the cancer hasn’t spread to his bone marrow, Dave said that his chances of making a full recovery are as high as 90%.
On Monday, Dave’s good friend and former Full House co-star, John Stamos, made a post on Instagram to show his support. The post had pictures of John wearing a bald cap as he shaved Dave’s head. There was also a picture of the two of them posing together post-head shaving, making it look like they were both bald. The fact that John was wearing a bald cap and didn’t actually shave his famous locks was controversial, though, with people arguing about the gesture and his intentions in the comments.
“Nothing like throwing on a bald cap and flexing some Photoshop skills to show some love and solidarity with my bro @dcoulier,” Stamos captioned the pictures. “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 (p.s. — @melissacoulier is the most wonderfulest — your true life line!).”
Several commenters took issue with Stamos not actually shaving his head.
“What a shallow gesture! Couldn’t even cut your hair off for your friend. And you made sure to post it on Instagram to get those likes too,” one person commented.
“Uncle Jessie could never cut his hair,” another person wrote.
“God bless Dave but is this really appropriate?” someone else pointed out. “A bald cap is showing solidarity? You can just take your cap off and be ‘normal’ again. When people take this route they actually shave their head. I can’t help but feel that you’re using Dave’s diagnoses as a way to make yourself more likeable.”
Coulier responded hours later to the negative comments with a post of his own on his Instagram page.
“I’m sorry to see a bunch of negative comments as I’ve just begun my cancer journey,” he wrote. “It’s our friendship (me and John) and this is how we are handling a very tough time. I’m a comedian and humor is what drives me. John knows how to cheer me up and I laughed out loud when he arrived wearing a bald cap – being a true loving friend and brother.”
He went on to highlight “so many people” who were inspired by his story to check in with their doctors about health concerns.
“I’m choosing to spread the word about early cancer detection to help people. That’s just who I am,” he wrote, concluding with: “I wish nothing but love for all of you.”
There were also plenty of people who had no problem with Stamos.
“Awwww this is so cute … also, to anyone in the comments.. if Dave isn’t offended by this, you shouldn’t be either and remember .. John is an actor and may need his hair for his JOB. This should be a space filled with positivity and hope.. take the negativity elsewhere,” one person commented.
“This is fantastic ,” wrote “Full House” star Candace Cameron Bure.
“You’re a good friend Charlie Brown. Dave is a trooper. All three of you will get through this!” someone else commented.
“You guys look great!” another person raved.
Coulier also said he was planning to get together with Stamos after his second round of chemotherapy.
“We’re going to have so many laughs. We’re going to have so much fun,” Coulier said. “I said, ‘It could be ‘Weekend at Bernie’s’ if I’m just out of it.’ And (Stamos) said, ‘That’s OK. I’ll carry you around.’”
After Dave made that post defending John, John’s wife, Caitlin, showed up in his comments to shame everyone for being mean to her husband:
I really hope the people who chose to say cruel things about my husband—who flew across the country and did what he could do bring joy to his friend going through chemo—look inward. Instead of tearing down others, take that time to think about how you can bring joy to the people you love.
I don’t know, bitches. At the surface level, it does look like John was making a well-intentioned but superficial gesture by wearing a bald cap instead of shaving his head in solidarity. I understand the point people are making about how he can just take the cap off and go back to normal life. But, honestly, if Dave said that he thought it was hilarious and that it cheered him up, then John successfully did what he set out to do: Make his friend feel supported and not alone in his cancer battle. These kinds of situations are unique to the people who are involved and their relationship with one another. Who are we to tell someone they’re wrong for feeling comforted by a friend’s gesture?
Just like when Jenna Fischer revealed that she’d been fighting breast cancer for the last year, Dave also used his diagnosis to urge fans to do their annual preventative cancer screenings and not put off getting any potential symptoms checked out. So, here’s your periodic reminder to schedule those recommended exams, and not to ignore it when it feels like something is not right with your body.