Is Scott Adams Dead? Revisiting How Racist 'Hate Group' Comments About Black People Cost Him Syndication

Scott Adams, the creator of the long-running comic strip Dilbert, died on 13 January 2026, at the age of 68. His death, confirmed on his podcast Coffee with Scott Adams by his ex-wife, followed complications from metastatic prostate cancer that had spread to his bones and resulted in heart failure.

However, news of Adams' passing quickly reignited online discussion — not only about his decades-long influence on workplace satire, but also about the controversy that effectively ended Dilbert's presence in mainstream newspapers years before his death.

For many fans, that controversy remains the most defining chapter of his later career.

How Scott Adams Rose And Fell in Public View

Adams launched Dilbert in 1989, building the strip around corporate dysfunction, middle-management frustration, and office politics. The comic resonated widely during the 1990s and 2000s, eventually appearing in thousands of newspapers worldwide.

For years, Adams was regarded as a sharp observer of white-collar life, with Dilbert becoming a staple of American pop culture.

That standing shifted dramatically in February 2023.

During a livestream of his show Real Coffee with Scott Adams, Adams discussed a Rasmussen Reports poll asking respondents whether they agreed with the phrase 'It's okay to be white.' The phrase has been flagged by the Anti-Defamation League as one frequently used in white supremacist trolling campaigns.

Responding to the poll results, Adams made comments that were widely condemned. On the stream, he referred to Black people as a 'hate group' and advised white people to 'get the hell away from Black people,' saying there was 'no fixing' the situation.

The remarks circulated rapidly across social media and news outlets, prompting immediate backlash.

Newspapers Drop Dilbert After the Livestream

Within days of the broadcast, newspapers across the United States announced they would no longer carry Dilbert. Major outlets, including The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and publications within the USA Today Network, cited Adams' comments as the reason for the decision.

Andrews McMeel Universal, the syndicate that distributed Dilbert, severed ties with Adams entirely.

Several editors and publishers described the remarks as racist and said continuing to run the strip would conflict with editorial standards. Outlets stated they would not provide space to content associated with language targeting an entire racial group.

The removal marked a swift and decisive end to Dilbert's decades-long run in mainstream print media.

Adams Responds, But the Fallout Holds

After the backlash, Adams disputed the interpretation of his remarks, arguing that they were taken out of context and exaggerated. He claimed he was attempting to discuss individual behaviour rather than racial groups and framed his comments as hyperbolic commentary.

Those explanations did not reverse the decisions made by publishers. Syndication contracts remained cancelled, and planned publishing projects tied to Adams were dropped. While he continued to speak through podcasts and online platforms, his reach was significantly reduced.

Adams later relaunched his comic independently online under the name Dilbert Reborn and maintained a following outside traditional media channels.

In the final months of his life, Adams had publicly spoken about his declining health, revealing that his cancer had spread to his bones and left him partially paralysed. His condition worsened steadily, culminating in heart failure that led to his death on Monday.

US President Donald Trump issued a brief condolence message following the announcement, praising Adams' early work and calling him 'brilliant and fearless.'

While Dilbert remains a defining piece of workplace satire, the controversy that ended its syndication now stands as a permanent and unresolved chapter in Adams' public legacy.