Holly Robinson Peete’s 4 Children: All About RJ, Ryan, Robbie and Roman (and How They’ve Followed in the Actress’ Hollywood Footsteps!)

Holly Robinson Peete couldn’t be more proud of her children: RJ, Ryan, Robbie and Roman.

After the actress and her husband, former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete, married in 1995, they welcomed four children: twins RJ and Ryan, as well as sons Robbie and Roman. While Holly and Rodney were excited to expand their family, their early years as parents were filled with emotional challenges.

When the couple's son RJ was 3 years old, he was diagnosed with autism, and a pediatrician explained that his life would be different from that of his peers. From that moment forward, Holly set out to help RJ in any way she could.

Through treatments and therapy, RJ has now soared beyond what was predicted. Though his parents were told he would never work, he has been employed by Los Angeles Dodgers for several years. The family are also advocates for the autism community, and they have used their reality shows, For Peete’s Sake and Meet the Peetes, to spread awareness about the disorder.

“He’s such a genuine kid,” Holly told PEOPLE in April 2018. “I wanted people to see that and fall in love with RJ, and then they wouldn’t be so scared of autism. I think he’s a great ambassador, and I knew his spirit and personality would come through.”

Here’s everything to know about Holly Robinson Peete’s four children: RJ, Ryan, Robbie and Roman.

Rodney Jackson "RJ" Peete Jr., 27

Holly and Rodney welcomed their first children, a set of twins, on Oct. 19, 1997. They named their son Rodney Peete Jr. after his football player father, calling him RJ for short.

RJ’s parents realized something was different about their son when he was a toddler. At age 3, he was diagnosed with autism on what Holly and Rodney refer to as “the Never Day.”

“On diagnosis day, or ‘the Never Day,’ a pediatrician rattled off an exhaustive, hope-starved laundry list of things he would ‘never’ do: develop language, attend a mainstream school, have meaningful friendships, play team sports, drive, self-advocate, live on his own or say ‘I love you’ unprompted,” Holly wrote in a piece for HuffPost in February 2017. “It was a devastating and suffocating day.”

After the news, Holly sought the best therapies and treatments for RJ, eventually discovering "Floortime" which proved to be effective. (It involves parents and therapists getting down on the floor to play with a child and following their lead during activities, according to Autism Speaks.) Upon seeing RJ respond to the treatment, Rodney became hopeful and more involved.

“Never once did we think about sending him away. I chose a proactive, crazy-mama approach,” Holly told PEOPLE in May 2007. “We are very goal-oriented. At 6 years old, our biggest goal for him was to have a conversation from start to finish. ... Now RJ sets goals for himself.”

The actress added that she wanted to publicly speak about RJ’s diagnosis "because we have this platform to talk about autism and reach so many others.”

While school was tough in the beginning, RJ has progressed in various parts of his life, including earning his driver’s license when he was 19. While he failed the test several times, he was determined to persevere.

“That doctor said I would never drive, so I have to make her wrong, Mom. She was wrong about everything else," he once told Holly, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Since 2016, RJ has been working with the Dodgers, where he serves as a clubhouse attendant. He was hired after Dodgers executive Lon Rosen saw an episode of the family’s reality television series, For Peete’s Sake, which focused on helping RJ land a job.

He was the first new hire in the coveted clubhouse position in over a decade. RJ's job involves preparing the bullpen before games, cleaning the dugout after games and helping with laundry.

“Everybody here has my back and they are always here for me no matter what,” he told the LA Times in August 2023. “These are the best friends I’ve ever had. I love these guys and I love being around these guys. I look up to them.”

That same year, Holly voiced her appreciation as well. "It's been a godsend," she told PEOPLE about the opportunity in June 2023. "I love this team with my whole heart."

RJ is a published author, who released a children’s book called Charlie Makes a Splash with his mother in 2022. The book focuses on RJ's love of water and swimming, which gives him “solace, confidence, comfort, joy, and sensorial bliss.”

Holly and Rodney are proud of how far their son has come.

“When I look back and see RJ ... he’s doing all these things that I was told he would never do,” Holly told PEOPLE in April 2018. “It really makes you emotional, because I can’t believe he’s come so far, and I’m still so blessed. He never had any friends and now he has a whole dugout full of friends.”

Ryan Elizabeth Peete, 27

Holly and Rodney welcomed their daughter Ryan Elizabeth Peete, RJ’s twin sister, on Oct. 19, 1997.

Ryan was brought up primarily out of the spotlight, although she occasionally attended premieres and events with her parents.

As the only girl out of the four children, Holly said raising Ryan was a different experience compared to her three sons. The actress jokingly told PEOPLE in February 2010 that Ryan was all the woman she could “handle in this lifetime.”

“Between the boys and my daughter it’s a difference of night and day!" she shared. "I find that the boys shrug off the drama and move on, but my daughter holds onto it. It becomes Days of Our Lives! I’m happy just having the one girl."

In the same interview, Holly revealed that Ryan and her twin brother RJ got along well, and she was a big “advocate” for him on his journey with autism.

The following month, in March 2010, Holly and Ryan released a children’s book about her experience growing up with an autistic brother. The mother-daughter duo penned My Brother Charlie, which explored the themes of love, patience, and acceptance — and helped other young children better understand autism.

Six years later, Holly and Ryan authored another book called Same But Different: Teen Life on the Autism Express, co-written with RJ. Told through diary entries, the project is aimed at adolescents and discusses the challenges of being a teenager with autism and how it affects family, school, friends and life.

After graduating from high school, Ryan attended New York University’s Tisch School of Arts, where she pursued a degree in music. She has since released several songs, including “Baltimore” and “Godspeed.”

Ryan now owns a curated vintage and secondhand clothing company called Ryan’s Charms. She sells products both online and at pop-up markets.

Robinson "Robbie" James Peete, 22

Holly and Rodney’s son, Robinson James Peete, was born on Aug. 11, 2002. The couple decided to name him after Holly’s maiden name — but family and friends call him Robbie for short.

Growing up, Robbie was passionate about music and sports, excelling in baseball. He also started learning Japanese as a teenager while he was being homeschooled, according to his OWN bio. At the time, Robbie dreamed of playing professional baseball in Japan.

After graduating from high school, he decided to pursue music, releasing his debut album, Verified, in 2020. Since then, he has put out several more songs, including a single called “Serena” and an EP titled forever.

Robbie’s knowledge of Japanese came in handy in 2022 when he moved to Tokyo to study abroad. According to Holly, Robbie has been spending his time there becoming fluent in the language, working and performing.

On his 22nd birthday in August 2024, she shared how proud she was of the person he was becoming.

“There are not enough adjectives to describe who you are because you are everything!” Holly wrote on Instagram. “I love that you’re living in Japan 🇯🇵 thriving, studying, working, entertaining, adulting and...speaking fluent Japanese!"

She continued, "I’m just so proud of you!!! Watching you handle your business with an abundance of grace, enthusiasm, dignity and integrity fills me with immeasurable JOY!”

Roman Matthew Peete, 19

Holly and Rodney’s youngest child, Roman Matthew Peete, was born on Feb. 25, 2005.

He made a memorable entrance as Holly went into labor while she was attending an Ebony magazine Oscars party at the Crustacean restaurant in Beverly Hills. When her water broke, an ambulance was called — and the whole thing was caught on camera.

“I really had no business out because I was 9 months pregnant 🤰🏽 but I was craving those famous low down garlic noodles 🍜!!!" Holly wrote on Instagram in February 2023. "3 bowls of noodles later...my water broke💦and an ambulance came, and it was a whole movie! I was so embarrassed... Roman Matthew Peete was born hours later."

That September, Roman made his magazine cover debut on the front of Ebony while being held by his mom.

Growing up, Roman took an interest in sports, like flag football, and he enjoyed playing video games, according to his OWN bio.

While he was homeschooled for some time, he later enrolled at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles. He graduated in 2023, which Holly celebrated in an Instagram post.

Afterward, Roman enrolled at the University of Southern California, his father’s alma mater. According to his LinkedIn, he's studying real estate development at the university’s Sol Price School of Public Policy.

Roman is also actively involved in his parent’s charity, the HollyRod Foundation. The organization was founded in 1997 to support Parkinson’s disease patients and research in honor of Holly’s father, who had the disease.

When RJ was diagnosed with autism several years later, the foundation expanded to support those with the disorder. Roman currently serves as the executive assistant to the CEO.

“I am dedicated to advancing the mission of the HollyRod Foundation, founded by my parents to support children with special needs and individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease,” he wrote on LinkedIn.

Read the original article on People