‘He Has No Freakin Idea What He’s Talking About’: Holly Robinson Peete Slams RFK Jr. for Claiming Autistic Kids Won’t Succeed or ‘Pay Taxes’
Actress Holly Robinson Peete is stepping into political commentary.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. held a news conference on Wednesday, April 16, to highlight the release of a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a survey stating that one in 31 children were diagnosed with autism disorder spectrum in 2022, an increase from one in 36 in 2020.
Kennedy’s bold statements to reporters about children with autism were full of inaccuracies, and one claim he made left Peete compelled to speak up.
“Autism destroys families,” Kennedy said. “More importantly, it destroys our greatest resource, which is our children. These are children who should not be suffering like this. These are kids who, many of them were fully functional, and regressed because of some environmental exposure into autism when they’re 2 years old.”
He added, “These are kids who will never pay taxes, they’ll never hold a job, they’ll never play baseball, they’ll never write a poem, they’ll never go out on a date — many of them will never use a toilet unassisted. And we have to recognize we are doing this to our children.”
These comments didn’t sit well with singer-actress, Peete, who went straight to her X to condemn his statements.
Requoting a clip of Kennedy Jr. making his speech, she wrote, “What in the Actual F???? I need to calm down and gather my thoughts. I’ll be back in a minute.”
She came back over an hour later and said, “My 27-year-old son with autism didn’t ‘destroy our family’—he gave us purpose and unity… oh, and he pays taxes.”
My 27-year-old son with autism didn’t ‘destroy our family’—he gave us purpose and unity… oh, and he pays taxes. https://t.co/r0cgdf718J
— Holly Robinson Peete
(@hollyrpeete) April 16, 2025
Peete has four children in total with her husband and former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete. They have their daughter and son, who are twins, Rodney Jackson “RJ” Peete Jr., and Ryan Elizabeth Peete, 27. They also share two sons. Robinson “Robbie” James Peete, 22, and Roman Matthew Peete, 20.
Rodney Jr. was diagnosed with autism at age 3.
Another X user who is a MAGA supporter responded under Peete’s post writing, “I’m very happy for you. But many don’t. Don’t cheapen the efforts of those fighting for those less fortunate.”
Peete said, “I don’t cheapen anything. I’ve been advocating for families for years. I just don’t like him using those generalizations -you can rob hope from many families. Institutionalized hopelessness is not helpful. Let’s talk about programs and services to help the families.”
Someone else wrote, “As someone who works with a lot of autistic children your story isn’t the norm..why are you upset he’s trying to help children?”
Peete responded by talking about the nonprofit she founded in 1999 called the HollyRod Foundation. It is an organization dedicated to raise awareness and provide resources to families whose relatives received and autism or Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
“It’s not just about my child. I have a nonprofit and I serve hundreds of families all across the spectrum. I don’t like this mischaracterization that they’ll never do anything,” she continued.
She also took to her IG to explain why Kennedy Jr.’s comments made her upset. The 60-year-old re-explained that when her son was diagnosed with autism the pediatrician rattled off a list of things he would never be able to do. She dubbed that day “The Never Day.”
“And so when the secretary of health and human services just ran off another ‘Never List’ it triggered me in a way I can even describe,” Peete said. “And now 24 years later, RJ’s 27 now, and he’s actually checked off and shattered most of those nevers off of that list. So when I hear someone like Robert F. Kennedy Jr. describe our children as family destroyers, I felt the weight of every parent who’s ever had to fight three times, four times as hard just to prove their child’s worth.”
Peete made a call to action for Kennedy to learn from people and families living with autism. She suggested that he goes into a classroom, or a nonprofit, or a therapy center to speak to autistic kids and adults “who are thriving, contributing, and redefining what it means to live fully in a world that doesn’t accept them.”
In Peete’s comments under her post one person wrote,”Exactly!! Where do we start with this horrible, irresponsible, completely false narrative? It’s insane that this is what we have in the office as a representation for us in our health.”
Someone else wrote, “How can anyone take him serious is beyond me. Most people with disabilities speak better than him. Looks like he’s about to keel over and he’s supposed to represent health??? He has no freakin idea what he’s talking about!!!!! So dangerous!! Ugh!!! The lies they all tell!!!!”
Kennedy Jr. has yet to respond to Peete. Plus, she isn’t the only one who took issue with his statements. Kennedy Jr. claimed autism to be a “preventable disease,” which does not align with researchers’ findings.
Scientists have identified autism as being a disorder that affects the brain, not a disease. Kennedy’s suggestions that environmental exposures — a thinly veiled reference to his long-held contention that the MMR vaccine causes autism — are a contributing factor to the diagnosis also have no scientific validity. Genetic factors have been associated with autism but scientists have not found any single causes.