Howie Mandel actually understands how legendary business magnate Howard Hughes famously locked himself in a hotel room and refused to leave due to a deep-seeded fear of catching germs.
The comedian, who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, is terrified of ending up that way, and he knows that it's not impossible.
In a chat with Page Six, the "America's Got Talent" judge said he spends "every moment of my existence knowing that Howard Hughes ended up alone in a room naked peeing in bottles."
Hughes was insanely wealthy, but his OCD often got the best of him, as he'd spend months isolated, eating the exact same meal and urinating in bottles. He died in 1976.
"I can't tell you how many times and how close I am to that," Howie said. "Humor has been a great bridge for me to somewhat sanity and productivity but I teeter on that so that makes it really tough. I get it, I understand how he got to where he was easier than I understand how other humans are functioning and touching and doing."
In addition to OCD, Howie also suffers from mysophobia, a fear of germs. During the coronavirus pandemic, he acknowledged that he was "on medication" and joked that the PPE shortage in the early days was because of him.
"I'd been hoarding gloves and masks and hazmat suits for the last 50 years," he said, adding that he gave them all away.
For months, he and his wife, Terry, wouldn't let their three adult children come to their home due to COVID-19. In fact, their grandchildren had to wave at them through windows. Last year, he told the New York Post that he's "moving my therapist into a whole new tax bracket on the phone" because of his COVID fears.
Howie knows that his condition is unique and acknowledges that is what might save him from perhaps ending up like Howard Hughes.
"It's really easy to fall into that dark hole and just fall," Howie said of his condition. "But if you are aware that you're falling or teetering, that's the first step. And the next thing is distraction, which is why I love working so much."