Getty (L-R) Rodney Peete, Ryan Peete, Holly Robinson Peete, Roman Peete, Dolores Robinson and RJ Peete attend the Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Ceremony for Holly Robinson Peete
Hallmark Channel star Holly Robinson Peete has spoken out about a “godsend” of an opportunity for her autistic son. The actress had high praise for the Los Angeles Dodgers at their foundation’s Blue Diamond Gala because of what the baseball organization has done for her son by giving him a job eight years ago.
Here’s what you need to know:
Holly Robinson Peete Said RJ’s Job With the Dodgers Was a ‘Godsend’ For Their Family
Rodney Peete Jr. (“RJ”) was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3, according to Robinson Peete’s Instagram. She has frequently praised him on her account for being “an awesome autism advocate,” as she wrote in 2022, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been struggles.
At the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala on Thursday, June 22, Robinson Peete praised the Dodgers organization in an interview with People. She spoke about the Dodgers giving her autistic son a chance by “hir[ing] inclusively” and now he’s been with the organization for eight years and it has been a “godsend” for RJ.
“The fact that they employed my son, they hired inclusively, a young man with autism that they gave a chance and he’s been here eight years. It’s been a godsend. So I love this team with my whole heart,” said the Hallmark star.
She added, “He didn’t have friends growing up. He has just a whole family around him, outside of his immediate family who supports him. … Then beyond that, what they do off the field and how they contribute, getting back to the community to walk the walk. For me, I love this team from A to Z … When you come to Dodger Stadium, it’s a family atmosphere. They do the same thing when they go into the community. And it’s probably not often enough do you hear about what the Dodgers do in the community. And that’s why nights like this are so important.”
RJ Peete is Holly Robinson Peete’s ‘Inspiration’
In an Instagram post from 2018, Robinson Peete introduced son RJ Peete to her fans and called him her “inspiration” because of all the things he can do instead of how doctors told her and her husband to prepare for all the things he wouldn’t be able to do.
Robinson Peete wrote:
Meet RJ Peete!! 👦🏽💕👍🏽
He loves aquariums, baseball & trampolines!
He is my inspiration.When he was diagnosed w/ #autism at 3 we were told to prepare for everything he would NEVER do💔 Now 20 he does A LOT🙏🏽 Make sure to keep up with RJ on our new family docu series #MeetThePeetes premiering this Sunday Feb 18 10/9c on @hallmarkchannel 📺❤️🎉
The Peete family, which consists of Holly and husband Rodney Peete, boy-girl twins Ryan and Rodney Jr. (RJ), 25, and two more sons named Robinson, 20, and Roman, 18, starred on the Hallmark Channel reality series “Meet the Peetes” for two seasons; it was a follow-up program to their two-season reality show on the Oprah Winfrey Network called “For Peete’s Sake.”
On both shows, talking about and showing experiences with RJ’s autism was something the family did not shy away from. In one episode of “For Peete’s Sake,” RJ and his mom were shown talking about his autism and he admitted that he sometimes lies about being autistic because of how people treat him.
“[I say] I don’t have it anymore,” said RJ, adding, “I don’t like people affecting it. I just want to be a normal guy like everybody else.”
To that, Robinson Peete said, “You’re an exceptional person, you’re different. You have to embrace that. That’s what makes you special, right?”
“I just don’t like the world thinking I have it because I don’t want people to make fun of me,” replied RJ.
At that point, Robinson Peete mentioned his job with the Dodgers, saying, “I wouldn’t worry so much about what other people think. Just go do you. You got a great job, you’re moving forward in life. I’m proud of you, you’re working so hard, everyone on the Dodgers loves you. Don’t worry about that.”
He admitted to reading online comments and his mom asked him not to do that. “Don’t every scroll down and read anything,” she said, adding, “RJ, you cannot listen to what random people say.”
But he said in a private interview that the things people say online “really hurt [his] feelings.”