What Happened to Scott Adams? A Look at the ‘Dilbert’ Cartoonist’s Life-Altering Diagnosis
"If you're wondering if I'll get better, the answer is no, it will only get worse."
Published May 20 2025, 1:18 p.m. ET
Cartoonist and author Scott Adams is best known as the creator of Dilbert, the widely syndicated comic strip that satirizes office culture and corporate life. Since launching in 1989, the strip has become a staple in newspapers and online platforms, earning Adams a dedicated following.
Beyond his cartooning career, Scott has made headlines in recent years for his outspoken political commentary and controversial public statements. However, in 2025, the artist was back in the spotlight, this time for sharing a deeply personal update with fans. So, what happened to him? Here's what to know.
What happened to Scott Adams?
In May 2025, Scott announced via a YouTube Livestream of his morning show, Real Coffee with Scott Adams, that he had been diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer. He also shared that his doctors have given him only months to live. Scott confirmed the news the day after former President Joe Biden revealed on Sunday, May 18, that he was diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer that spread to his bones.
"I have the same cancer that Joe Biden has. I also have prostate cancer that has also spread to my bones, but I've had it longer than he's had it — well, longer than he's admitted having it," Scott said on YouTube.
The artist's remarks echo what President Donald Trump and his allies have said of Biden's cancer diagnosis following his announcement.
According to NPR, while Trump was initially publicly supportive of Biden, he began to question if he intentionally withheld his diagnosis and knew about it before exiting his presidential race in July 2024. Although Scott is an avid Trump supporter, he stated he was disappointed by some people reacted to Biden's diagnosis, though he was careful not to name any names.
"I'd like to extend my respect and compassion for the ex-president and his family because they're going through an especially tough time," the cartoonist said. "It's a terrible disease."
Scott Adams said his cancer is "intolerable": "There's only one direction this goes now."
Scott shared with his fans that he had come to terms with the fact that his cancer diagnosis wouldn't improve and that he knew the disease would take his life. He explained that his cancer had become "intolerable," saying he's been using a walker for months and is "always in pain" that moves to different parts of his body. Scott also confirmed that he came out and discussed his diagnosis because he had accepted his fate.
"If you're wondering if I'll get better, the answer is no, it will only get worse," he said. "There's only one direction this goes now."
The cartoonist also said he held off on telling his fans about his diagnosis because "once you go public, you're just the dying cancer guy." However, Scott shared that he was also waiting for his step-daughter's wedding, and decided to share once the wedding passed. During his career, he has written several novels and nonfiction books unrelated to Dilbert and weighs in on social and political events on his long-running YouTube program, which has some 174,000 subscribers.
In 2023, Scott was involved in controversy after he discussed a public opinion poll asking readers whether they agree with "It's OK to be white," which is considered an alt-right slogan. In his response, he labeled Black people a "hate group," a statement he later told The Washington Post was "a hyperbole" but continued to defend.