John Stamos sparked controversy after sporting a bald cap to show his support for pal Dave Coulier, who recently revealed his cancer diagnosis.
Both Stamos and Coulier shared a series of photos to Instagram on Monday, the first of which sees the duo standing side-by-side, both of their heads completely hairless. The next shows Coulier getting a shave from his former “Full House” co-star while the third shows his wife and Stamos kissing his freshly bald head.
“Nothing like throwing on a bald cap and flexing some Photoshop skills to show some love and solidarity with my bro @dcoulier,” Stamos said in the caption.
“You’re handling this with so much strength and positivity—it’s inspiring,” he continued. “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.”
Stamos wrapped his message with praise for Coulier’s wife, Melissa, calling her “the most wonderfulest” and “a true lifeline.”
The tribute left social media users divided, with some criticizing Stamos’ gesture as superficial.
“Hate to be that person but this is more insulting by putting on a bald cap then not shaving ur head,” one comment reads. “A person with cancer doesn’t have a ‘cap’ they can take off.”
Another added: “Seriously just couldn’t shave your head bro?? lol.”
Coulier was quick to defend his friend in a statement shared to his Instagram on Tuesday, blasting the negativity surrounding the post.
“It’s our friendship (me and John) and this is how we are handling a very tough time,” he wrote. “I’m a comedian and humor is what drives me. John knows how to cheer me up and I laughed out loud when he showed up wearing a bald cap – being a true loving friend and a brother.”
Stamos starred as the hair-obsessed Jesse Katsopolis alongside Bob Saget’s Danny Tanner and Coulier’s Joey Gladstone on “Full House.” The show ran from 1987 to 1995 and the trio recently reprised their roles on Netflix’s spinoff, “Fuller House.”
Earlier this month, Coulier revealed he was diagnosed with stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He said that while the cancer is aggressive, his doctors hope he will be in remission when he finishes chemo in February 2025.