Howie Mandel, a self-proclaimed germaphobe, arrived on the set of "America's Got Talent" on Tuesday wearing a full hazmat suit and gas mask.
The move had many wondering whether the comedian was making light of the coronavirus or taking measures to prevent himself from getting sick. Mandel has been open about being a hypochondriac and while some thought he was cracking a joke, others were quick to jump to his defense on Twitter.
"Truly a comedian," one Twitter user wrote.
"This is actually sad. He's been to therapy for his germ phobia. I can only imagine how he's feeling right now," another tweeted.
"For anyone who doesn't know, Howie Mandel has serious OCD/Germaphobe condition. So no, it's probably not a joke," said another Twitter user.
Earlier this week Mandel spoke about the safety measures he was taking amid the coronavirus epidemic and the hazmat suit appears to be part of his latest plan.
"I don't shake hands and now I've taken it to another level: I don't inhale. I am not inhaling," Mandel told Entertainment Tonight in Los Angeles. "Everybody's watching, everybody's aware. Welcome to Howie's world."
Other stars have also been spotted wearing hazmat suites in recent days. Among them was Naomi Campbell, who shared photos of her getup on social media. Campbell wore a face mask and goggles, while onboard a plane at the Los Angeles International Airport and while inside a car.
"Safety first" she wrote in the captions for both images.
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