- During an April 16 press conference, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said autism destroys families and that people with autism would never hold a job
- Actress Holly Robinson Peete, whose oldest son, RJ, was diagnosed with autism in 2000, tells PEOPLE exclusively that RFK Jr.’s comments were “inherently false” and “triggered her”
- RJ Peete has worked for as a club attendant for the Dodgers for 10 seasons
Holly Robinson Peete is standing up for the autism community following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s claims about people with autism earlier this month.
During his April 16 press conference, the U.S. secretary of health and human services said that people with autism will never pay taxes, hold a job or go on a date.
These words were all too familiar for Peete, whose oldest son, RJ, was diagnosed with autism 25 years ago.
“First of all, that’s just not true,” Peete exclusively tells PEOPLE. “We got our diagnosis in 2000, and it feels like I’m transported back in time to a time when we didn’t know as much as we know about autism.”
During what Peete, 60, refers to as that “never day” in 2000, a doctor listed milestones that RJ would “never” achieve. Peete shares RJ with her husband, Rodney Peete.
“A developmental pediatrician said [RJ] would never speak, he would never have friends … in school, live on his own, have meaningful employment, never drive, never probably have a significant other, never get married,” Peete recalls.
“And I’m not sure why she felt on that day that she needed to sort of doom our three-year-old to all these ‘nevers’. But in some ways, I’m glad she did because it made me angry. It turned me into a gangster mom.”
Today, Peete says she’s “triggered” by RFK Jr.’s blanket statements – particularly his comment that “autism destroys families.”
“Autism does not destroy families,” Peete retorts. “But you know what does? Not having access to healthcare. In Black and brown communities, families are not able to even get their kids to the diagnosis of autism so that they can get the interventions and treatments [they need]. Those are the things that destroy families, not autism. So immediately, I was so triggered hearing that because that is just inherently false.”
Peete, who founded the HollyRod Foundation to raise awareness and provide resources for families affected by Parkinson’s Disease and autism, also says that RFK Jr.’s comment about people with autism never paying taxes stood out to her.
“He started out with that. And that to me… what are you saying?” Peete questions. “That they’re going to be a blight on society? That taxpayers are going to have to cover [them]? Besides the fact that my son obviously pays taxes and many people who are on the spectrum pay taxes.”
“He decided to marginalize. And what that’s done has driven a little bit of a wedge in the autism community between those with high-support needs and low-support needs. A wedge like I’ve never seen before, and I’ve been doing this [for] 25 years.”
RJ is currently in his tenth season working for the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he’s a club attendant for the dynasty franchise. It’s a job that she says requires “a lot of manual labor” and “long hours.”
“I’m so grateful to the Dodgers for giving RJ that opportunity and to any employer that hires inclusively like that,” Peete gushes. “RJ’s only kept this job because he has been supported there. They understand who he is.”
Peete also exclusively revealed to PEOPLE a new milestone RJ’s reached – living on his own.
“I really didn’t think that one we were gonna check that one off the list, and he did,” Peete shares. “He got an apartment and he got a place closer to work so he doesn’t have to drive so far and so late. He loves it. I miss him already.”
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