Getting Naked: The Podcast - From the Jump | Valerie Bertinelli | Holly Robinson Peete

Episode Date: August 19, 2026

Get ready to peel back the layers as Valerie Bertinelli catches up with fellow Hollywood child star Holly Robinson Peete to dish on survival in show business and nearly 30 years of marriage in the spotlight! From hilarious throwbacks to turning family struggles with autism and Parkinson’s into real-life advocacy, this candid conversation is all about embracing your power, dropping expectations, and truly "Getting Naked."

I just had the most wonderful conversation with my girl, Holly Robinson Pete. We've known each other for decades. I've known her since she was just a wee little thing. And we have an amazing conversation that goes all different kinds of ways. So please stay tuned. I have a really fun recipe for you today. You saw how easy that was. Look at all that flavor we packed into chicken breasts.

I love the flavor of maple syrup, especially for these kind of muffins. I see all of your comments. I swear I do. You are wondering, where's my show? This is so dang delicious. Smells divine. That's a jalapeno popper. Oh my god.

It's so good! Yes, I'm back and I am cooking for all of you. All right, Sophie. What are we reheating today? Welcome to Nal Vals cooking. Guess what we're gonna make right now. We're alive. Hi, everybody. How are you?

You have to go to Valerie's Place. That's where you can see our book group, this podcast. That's where you can go for all the cooking that you want to see. Oh, yes. I've missed cooking for you. I'm glad I finally get to do it again. I'm dancing. that's how good it is.

So head to Valerysplace.com and go ahead and sign up. You guys are the original members, and I can't thank you enough. It's happy time. Welcome to Getting Naked the podcast. I have a special guest today. I'm very, very excited about this. But before we get into it, before we get into today's episode, just a quick reminder to stay tuned for the full reveal.

That is a special segment for Valerie's Place members. And if you want to be able to access the full reveal and get early access to the podcast, just head on over to Valorsplace.com and sign right up. Okay, this is what I want to get to. I've known this woman for decades. You're going to look at her and think that's impossible. But I have.

I have admired her for decades. I've known her for decades, going back to when we were both young actresses growing up in the industry. She is, get ready, actress, author, talk show host, producer, an incredible advocate, married to an icon in his own right, in his own world, from starring in iconic shows like 21 Jump Street, hanging with Mr. Cooper, and to her. her work with the Holly Rod Foundation, championing families living with autism and Parkinson's. She has managed to build a remarkable career, girl, while raising four kids and celebrating nearly 30 years of marriage. I am so thrilled to have her here, Holly Robinson Pete. I am so thrilled. No, I'm thrilled and honored. I just love you. And Starstruck. I'm always

starstruck. We've met when, I mean, I had to be 16 and you were a baby. 75? Yes, I was 15. Okay, so I was just, I'm just behind you. My mom. Who is very good friends with my managers. Yes. Now they're friends.

Back then, she worked at Ray Sackheim agency. Okay. That represented Bonnie Franklin and Pat. That's how. That's how she would come to the set. Yeah. Every week, every week she would come for the tapings. So, of course, me being at home,

I guess I was maybe 12. I wanted to go to this hit show and hang out, and that was my perk of hanging out with my mom. So she took me to all the shows, not just yours, but she took me to good times. Everybody knows to Loris Robinson. Yeah, I mean, she had clients. Anyway, I came to your set,

and I would just watch you, and you were just like, oh, my God, one day I want to have a sitcom like her and just be as cute as her and be as cool as her. I just thought you were everything. You ended up cooler, and cuter. Well, listen, I'm tell you, I was so

inspired by you. So that was my claim to fame for a long time before I started acting that I knew everybody, right? I would get to Battle of the network stars. I would follow you there. I was, you know, before I knew I was a straight heterosexual woman,

let's just say, I was exploring in my mind and between you and Christy McNickle, honey. Oh, I love Christy. Oh, I loved both of you so much. So that's how long I've known you. And then when I started working and would meet you again, you remembered me. Always.

But I was just somebody's daughter hanging out on the set. Yeah, but you still are. So beautiful and so, like, you had that oomph, that thing that people have to be in this business. And is there something, is there some kind of advice? Because I get this question a lot. I don't know if I know how to tell people good advice for starting. Starting off because you were in a show, how old were you when you did 21 Jump Street? 22.

Yeah, you were young and you were surrounded by all of these gorgeous men and guest stars all the time with men that would become hugely famous. How did you, because you were a solid presence on that show at such a young age, how did you feel that presence? How did you believe so strongly in yourself? I think it was Dolores Robinson. I think it was my mom because I would hang out and watch you guys and was like, when my turn comes, I'm going to, I'm going to make the most of it. I'm going to do what I'm supposed to do. And I watched her, I watched her clients make mistakes.

So I kind of grew up in it, but like on the periphery where I would see and know when it was my turn, I was going to be professional. I wasn't going to get fired from a job. And I was going to be, show up, do my job, and just be professional. But at 21, you know, the 21, 22, I just graduated from college and got this show, which was a lot of people don't realize that 21 Jump Shoot was like the first big show of the Fox Network. So it was a brand new network. So it was all new. And they were going to Vancouver, British Columbia to shoot, which was now.

I shot there. It's beautiful. Well, everybody shoots there now. But in 1986, nobody was up there. Really? Yeah. So we were like the mod squad of Canada, right? We were just like no one.

So it was all very new. And I just remember my mom putting me on the plane saying, okay, so here are the rules. There's going to be some cute boys up there. What you are not going to do is get with any of them. You're going to be their best girl friend, but you are not going to make that mistake because it will mess over that line. It will mess you up.

And I was just like, she was right. She was right. And of all the advice she's giving me, that was one that I actually followed that because, you know, come on, John. Yeah. Johnny Depp was, this is before the Johnny Depp we know, before Captain Jack Sparrow, he was a replacement. He came up as a replacement of another actor. Really? Another actor had shot the whole pilot, and then very good old Barry Diller from Foxy was like,

oh my God, these names. I know, I know. So Barry was like, mm-mm, he doesn't have it, whatever that it was. And then they found Johnny. And the runner up to Johnny was Josh Brolin. Girl, you can't make this stuff up. Oh, my God. Literally, after Johnny came up, we had already shot, and we were all nervous, we were going to get fired because the other guy got fired. And he came up and he walked in there. I was like, hmm, about that little advice my mom gave me.

And we just, there's a little exception. But no, I did it, which was so smart. And yeah, so that was Jump Street. And I would say just advice-wise, I was lucky to have a mom who was entrenched in the business and had clients who made mistakes that I could learn from. Speaking of mistakes. Now, when you do make mistakes, as we all make mistakes, how do you learn from them and not beat yourself up? Well, when you're young, that's very hard. Yeah, it is, isn't it?

You constantly beat yourself up. I did so much self-hating and be so mad. I was so mad at myself for so many things. Why do we do that? And we talk to ourselves in bad ways. That's what I'm always telling my daughter. I'm like, she's like, I'm so stupid. No, you're not.

Like, stop talking to yourself that way. your brain will hear that and go, oh, you think you're stupid? Okay, well, then let me show you some more stupid. Let's be stupid together. Yeah, yeah. And so I think that some of that, you just youth, you just have to like kind of get through it. I think you're right. But now, Valerie, from when we were younger, is different because it's in your face on social media all the time.

So many people judging you. And people can bully you in a way that they couldn't back then. It's true. If you wanted to read The Inquirer or Teen Beat magazine, they were kind of harmless. But I mean, you know what I mean? Yeah, but you actually had to go to the grocery store and pick it up and read it. You could avoid it. But now, if something goes viral about you, about the way you look or the way you dress or whatever, that's in your face.

So it's a little harder now and being a parent. It's, who. When did you first let your girls get online? How old were they? Well, I have one girl. Okay. which was all the woman I can handle in this lifetime.

Listen, I grew up with brothers. I wouldn't even know how to do it. And I had a son. One girl and three boys. Okay, good. But, you know, boys, same thing. It's the same type of energy. My son was bullied online relentlessly

from the time he was 16 on. He's dealt with it incredibly. His sense of humor came out. And it was like horrific. I wanted to go beat everybody up. Of course. He's like, Mom, I got this. Of course.

You know, I would say I let them probably partake in social media probably a little earlier than they should have. If I had to go back, I would probably hold them back a little bit more. But do you really have, I mean, sometimes it's so hard. You can't really police it. It's just, it's so impervious. It's everywhere. But I think what I like about my kids is that they also have a thicker skin because of it. sort of like, oh, you know, we're the first generation to really grow up in this, so that doesn't mean anything.

Plus, they have two famous parents. Right. That probably did a little bit to, you know, toughen their skin a little bit. It did. It did. It did. And also just growing up here in L.A., they learned some quick lessons. Yeah. So they're pretty good about it, but even at 28, my daughter still is impacted by watching her friends do things that she's not doing yet. So she compares herself. oh this one's having kids and getting married and I'm not doing that yet

and I'm like, girl, like your timeline oh mom when you were 28 you were already on your fourth No my journey is not your journey Exactly so I have to constantly pound that Yeah and that's really great advice too My journey is not your journey Your journey is yours alone It's individual to you and it's there for you to explore

Right and she's like well mom you did When you were on Jump Street or whatever you or whatever show you were doing, you didn't have it constantly in your face what your peers were doing. I'm like, no, I did. I knew what everybody was doing and what jobs they were getting

and all of that. And she said, but there was a different layer. Yeah. And I'm like, you're right, you're right. So I have to hear that and be like, one in my day, like I got to really push back on doing that. And my husband, who is,

he over dads, I have to like really tell him. He's a helicopter dad. He's a helicopter dad. We call him sweatshirt, Dad. Because every time we go to a Dodger game, he's like, do you have a sweatshirt? I'm like, if you don't stop sweatshirt dead and it's going to get cold. I'm like, oh, my God, when did you become this man? He's right, though.

He's sweatshirted. But he's right. Oh, he's absolutely right. I got to give Rodney props. He's absolutely right. I will be like, oh, I'm cold. Can I wear your? And he's like, I don't want to take my sweatshirt up.

I told you. Yep. I'm going to let you freeze. You got a prep. But anyway, yes, having to have that. That moment of listening to them and letting them teach you about really what's going on in their lives right now. And acknowledging their feelings. And acknowledging that they have a different perspective.

And our little, you know, book of tricks doesn't always work. So that's been, you know, what they've taught me. Yeah. My son has taught me a lot about emotional intelligence. Oh, my goodness. And then I got a kid with autism. And when I tell you the lessons he's taught me. Really?

I'm blowing because he's 28. He's one of the twins. So the twins are boy girl, 28, 28, middle boy is about to turn 24 and baby's 21. And RJ is the one with autism. And doesn't he have a job now with the Dodgers? Not only does he have a job, but he has three World Series rings with his name on it.

Damn! You cannot make this shit up! Like it's unbelievable his journey. I have a really fun recipe for you today. You saw how easy that was. Look at all that flavor we packed into chicken breasts. I love the flavor of maple syrup, especially for these kind of muffins. I see all of your comments.

I swear I do. You are wondering, where's my show? This is so dang delicious. Smells divine. That's a jalapeno pauper. Oh my God. It's so good. Yes, I'm back, and I am cooking for all of you.

All right, Sophie. What are we reheating today? Welcome to Nal Vow's cooking. Guess what we're going to make right now. We're alive. Hi, everybody. How are you? You have to go to Valerie's Place. That's where you can see our book group, this podcast.

That's where you can go for all the cooking that you want to see. Oh, yes. I've missed cooking for you. I'm glad I finally get to do it again. I'm dancing. That's how good it is. So head to Valerie's Place.com and go ahead and sign up. You guys are the original members, and I can't thank you enough.

It's happy time. When you're a mid-sized business, you need every competitive advantage you can get, like an AI solution that works full. you, not against you. SAP Grow is built with AI embedded at its core, working across every system, and it's ready to go from day one so you can hit the ground running. Bring it with SAP Grow, AI Cloud ERP for any size business. Tell me about his journey. Tell me about you and Rodney's journey through this. And when you found out RJ had autism and what made you think there's something going on that I'm not quite sure of and we need to have this. Because he was a twin, I could watch him

alongside a typical twin sister. Right. But all I got, because, you know, my mommy gut was like churning. I would watch him do things. By the way, I was a rookie mom at this point. It's my first kids. Two out the box, one, you know, right away. And that was already overwhelming.

Husband was playing football back east. He was still playing. Yep. And so it was really all in me. I was, when they were three months old, I went back to work on a sitcom. I was fortunate to have an amazing boss, who was also my bestie from Cincinnati. I'm 15.

That's helpful. We went to, very helpful. Went to Sam O'Hie together. Yvette Bowser. And she created a living single and a bunch of other shows. She's an amazing lady. But she also was pregnant the same time I was pregnant. Oh, my God.

So she set up a nursery when I needed to go nurse because I was nursing twins because I'm crazy. She would be. You're not crazy. That's hard work to nurse twins. That was crazy. Yeah. Putting them on both like this at the same time. and the sound of that pump.

Oh, my God, the pump. I'm still traumatized by the sound of that pump. Yeah. But I don't think, I think I had to manually pump. The manual pump, right? Well, I just was just as the electronic pump was invented. I would have loved that. And the sounds it made, I still haunt me.

Like, it would start talking to me. I would start hearing words. Rhythm. Yeah, just in the, er, er, er. Anyway, she set it up so that I could leave set and I could go do that. So she turnedkeyed it for me. So it was very, very good. But when we started to notice him being different and him not hitting the milestones as his twin sister was hitting, that was like, wait a second, what's happening?

Then I had a husband playing football, totally in denial that anything was wrong with him. And when I would bring him to the football city, everybody else's little kids were running around getting autographs and throwing footballs. And RG was twirling, flapping, stemming, staring at train wheels like this. Like, I mean, doing all these things, and we were like, what's going on? So I knew. But then for a long time, my pediatrician and Rodney Pete were in denial. So I had to fight both of them. Wow.

Yeah, no, I knew. And I was just like, and then I got advice from someone who said, listen, you need to make sure that you get this diagnosis because every second, there's a window of time. You really, it's easier to pull him sort of into our world. You can reach him. Yeah. So you don't want to miss that window. And it's crucial. Oh, God, you heard that.

I know that person's like a love in my life for giving me that advice. And then, you know, shoot, I listened because sometimes you don't listen. And so I got the advice. And I remember telling Rodney, he was like, there's nothing wrong with my boy. He's fine. I'm just going to, you know, he was a football player. I'm going to coach it out of him. And he just had all of those football things, macho things.

Yep. So I was like, okay, well, you're not going to be any help. So I'm on my own with this. and yeah, I just, it was a school. It was a very, very well-known private school in L.A. with lots of celebrity kids, and he went there. I was so excited to get him in, him and his sister. We were at this school, the school's, you know,

everybody who's anybody's kids there, the rookie mom, I'm so excited I got my kids in. And then I started noticing all the other boys were running this way, and he was by himself in a corner. and then poor Ryan, she would sit next to him and play with him, so the girls wouldn't play with her because she was always with him. So I was just watching. And then one day, the people at the school called me in and said,

we're doing fundraising and we would like to know which one of these levels you could commit to. And Valerie, the levels were like triple. I can only imagine. They were like six-figure, low to mid-six figure levels. I was like, who do they think I am? Like, what kind of salary do they think I'm making? But then they said, you know, well, you know, little Rodney is difficult to teach. So, in other words, so fork it up, lady.

Wow. I was appalled. I couldn't believe that she was saying this to me. And so I just got out of there. And it was one of the worst days of my life because they told me he was unteachable. and then I went to every single school in L.A., looked at public schools, and I couldn't find a school that was really going to help him until I got to UCLA Lab School, which is an elementary school on the UCLA campus. They were so accommodating. They were like, yes, we'll take them. Yes, we'll teach him. And the only thing is, you know, you might have to help out with a shadow teacher in the class to sort of keep him up. If you're willing to do that, we can do that. we can do this. And thank God for them because they helped him mainstream. And that mainstreaming

from, you know, kindergarten to sixth grade set him up, I think, in a way that he wouldn't have been set up otherwise. So so happy for that. And for your advocating for your side. Yeah. Yeah. And you know what? I'm really thankful to that school because that school, doing us like that that forced me to find a better situation for him. It's always interesting that those doors that are shutting in your face or there's a better analogy than that. That when you come up against a really difficult challenging situation, it ends up being, for lack of a better word, a blessing because you learn so much from it. At the time, it hurts like hell.

Fuck yeah. You're so mad. But then when I look back on him and his, and by the way, I had a little moment too when I was, we were at this event just because I'm going to drop a name at Oprah Winfrey's house. And so we were hanging with, oh. Some of us get to go to Oprah's house. And that lady from that school.

Stop it. We were on the bus with her and like doing these little shuttles for some of that we were doing there. And we were at, and she, and Ryan was with me. RJ wasn't there, but Ryan was there. And I introduced her to Ryan and she was all tight like this because she knew, knows I was, you know, hurt by that situation because I made it very well known. I never mentioned who she was or who they were. But I made it well known that that you just, it kind of did.

It was hurtful. It was cold-blooded. because I don't want them to do that to anybody else. There's a way better way that she could have said, listen, we're having trouble with this, and you might want to look into this kind of, and, like, help you. Not on the same day that you're also asking for, a big donation.

So anyway, long story short, she was there, and I introduced her to Ryan, because Ryan is just this lovely young lady, and she just kind of looked at Ryan, like, you know, there's just a moment. I was like, see, there's my daughter. Because they were like, oh, we're not really even sure about Ryan. They were also giving me a little fever about her.

So all that is to say, like you said, the doors that close end up being the ones that open up new options and opportunities. And if she had not done that, I would have gone along with the status quo, working out money and whatever. So this was a better situation. So, you know, but we were still told on the day that he was diagnosed all the things he would never do. And we infamously call that the never day because this developmental pediatrician, laid out all these things. He'll never do this. He'll never do that.

He'll never mainstream in school. He'll never have a girlfriend or a partner. He'll never have meaningful employment. So all these things... Oh, God. Just like each one just feels like a jazz. Oh, my gosh. And then he's like, oh, he'll never play team sports.

And I don't know why she just didn't kick my husband the nuts and put him on the ground, Mr. Football player, baseball player. I know. You're telling me my firstborn son is never going to... He's not going to win the Heisman trophy. Oh, God. So it was just devastating. And I tell that story.

I tell it all the time because nobody should diagnose someone that way. You've got to give someone some hope. And I'm a little bit of a gangster mom, which I discovered later. I wasn't at the time. I was just crying all day. But at some point, I rolled up my sleeves and became gangster mama. Good. And started advocating.

But at the time, I was very vulnerable. And so if you're not going to give me hope. Such new information. And to someone that you adjudy. door like you love unconditionally. Well, that's hard. It's so hard. And remember, I'm a new mom, you know, first kids.

And you got to give me something. Got to give me something to hold on to. Got to give me some hope. So I always talk about that day because now as an advocate for 25 years now, I feel like I want to give someone else a better diagnosis. So I'm always giving that out because it's so important, especially when you first get it. And, you know, I had a husband who was in denial. And, you know, I was, well, I was hard on him.

If I, I give that. How did he come around? I mean, obviously, at some point he had to. I had a divorce lawyer call him. Stop it. I swear, I did. Did you really? I was kind of bluffing, but I really told.

I was kind of bluffing, but I wasn't. Uh-huh. But I knew that I wanted him to know that either he was on this journey with me or he wasn't. He couldn't be half in, half out. And how from there, from Never Day and the not half in, half out? Then you, when did you start Holly Rock? Foundation. Oh, well, so we started Holleyrod Foundation around the same time, but Holly Ride was started because of my dad who had Parkinson's disease. This happened before RJ? My dad had Parkinson's,

like before I met Rodney. So I was always sort of supportive of that, but when I met Rodney, and we had this sort of great, like sort of, if you will, power couple platform, I was like, oh, we got to advocate for these people with Parkinson's and stuff. And then as the autism thing was hitting. I was in denial a little bit, too. I didn't just stand up on the table with a cape on. Because you want to believe it's something that it can be handled. You want to have that hope. You want to have, and they give you so little. Well, yeah. And so I was talking a big game, but I was also a little bit in denial, like maybe he'll grow up. I don't know what I was going to do. So while we were doing this other foundation, I was raising this boy with autism and trying to get him,

you know, build a team around him and just help him, you know. And so the Parkinson's start, my dad was diagnosed in his 40s. Wow. And at the time he was working on the Cosby show. He's a writer, producer. He was the original Gordon on Sesame Street. So he started that show, which was crazy because I was six years old. And like, my dad was Gordon.

And I was, my days was 69. We barely had TV. So I was like, how did you get in that box? So I sort of like. like was kind of mind-blown that he was on this amazing show, which every six-year-old loved. Yeah. He hated it being, like being on camera. He really only started out as like a consulting producer, and then the original Gordon fell through,

and then he kind of pinch hit the last minute and then really gave that show life for the first five or six years. But after he left there, he went on to write shows like. eight is enough the Walton's Sanford and Son and the Jefferson so he was on all those writing staffs in those writer rooms back in a day

Now Sanford and Son and the Jeffersons were in the same lot that I was in with one day to time yeah Oh my gosh I love that I always tell my kids that you know we were on the lot with all the TGIF for hanging with Mr. Cooper family ties and whatever and that they think that that's cool

but to me like that is extra cool It was all in the family, Mary Hartman, I mean, the Jeffersons. It was so cool. Oh, my God. What a time. What a time. Yeah. So he got diagnosed when he was on the Cosby show.

And he did all nine seasons. It would have been so frightening for him. Oh, my God. It was so frightening because there was no Muhammad Ali, no Michael J. Fox. There was no Parkinson's awareness. So that's why we started Holly Rod because we wanted to help these families impacted by Parkinson's. And I think the key, like a big part of it is just the awareness of it. Oh, yeah.

Just that making it not as scary as it can be, making it part of the lexicon, the dialogue that is a part of every day because so many people have to deal with it. There was no Google yet. I was at Sarah Lawrence College going to the library with the Dewey Decimal System, looking at cards, you know, and like there was no information on Parkinson's. So it wasn't until the day that Muhammad Ali lit that torch and he was shaken. And my dad called me. He was like, oh, my God, the goat, the champ, he has what I have. And that was like Parkinson's. He put it on the map.

And then Michael J. Fox did the same thing. It just really helped those of us who were supporting families. So, yeah, that's how we started Hollyrod. And then as we started seeing there was very little advocacy for autism at that time. And we were just starting to get into that world. Then we expanded our mission and made that part. And there's such a range of autism, isn't there? So it's not, it's scary when your child has anything, and anything is going to be scary.

But this at least gives you the information that there's a wide range and you can try to figure out what that range is and see. And your son has a job with the Dodgers. He's got rings. He's like, he's doing so well. Good job, Mom. I still can't. You know, I will take some of the credit because I did fight like hell for him. But at the end of the day, he's the one that has to go to work.

He has to mask all day. He has to deal with the stress of that. And he's just a superhero to me because he's so unpretentious about all the things he has. You have to beg him to show you his World Series rings and stuff. He's like, okay. Oh, my God. I try to get him to wear one for our foundation event. I'm like, walk down, that would be so tight.

RJ, if you walk down with your rings on, he's like, I mean, okay, I guess. He's very nonchaline about that. But from the diagnosis to him working and being gamefully important, and living on his own now, which is, that's breaking news, because he just moved out. Wow. Good for him. That journey has been like a whirlwind when I think about like all the things that we've been through with him and the bullying and him never having friends.

Because that one thing that lady did say is he would never have friends in a real meaningful way. And he didn't until he got this job at the Dodgers. That's so lovely for him. That's just, it's, I could just sobbed these. He's CBS eyelashes off right now. Is there anything more fulfilling is when, I mean, I've been saying it about my son. I mean, yes, he has a job that he loves and he's creative and all that stuff.

But it's like when he just finds his purpose in life, like he's just like he found his person. Like I'm just how happy for the life that he has. No, let's talk about that part. Okay. Because if you go down the never list, that's the one box that's not checked yet. Yeah. Well, he's still young. He's 28.

He's young. He's never dated. That's young. He's still young. If you ask him, R.J., you ever want to date a girl? I'm going to date? He goes, I'm not quite there yet. Okay?

He's been saying this since he was 18. Good for him. You know what? He's allowed. You know what? I talk a big game. Like, I talk a lot of shit. Oh, I want him to have a woman and stuff.

But recently there was like something that the World Series where some of the players got to get rings for their wives, like some happy jewelers or something, was like, hey, get a ring for your wife, whatever. So the clubbies, RJ's a clubhouse attendant, they all could get rings for their wife. And all of his coworkers are married with kids. And they were like, hey, RJ, you want to get a ring for your mom? And I was like, oh my gosh. And so, I have the ring on. It's like, it's just a little, it's just a little, it's just a little, and diamonds. Honey! Right. It's just a little, and there's two of them, right? It's just a little, it's not,

it's not big deal, right? Oh my God. Just a little something. But he got it. But he got it. But he got it for me. So then I was thinking, if he had a girlfriend, you're out. Who would get that ring? Not mom. I'm like, let me just dial back all this little matchmaking stuff. It's all right, honey, because the guys on the team are always trying to take him to Vegas. Oh, God. I was trying to hook him up, and I'm just, you know, so anyway, so I'm going to be careful what I wish for. Yeah, yeah. Mess around. Oh, God bless him. He is doing really well. That whole journey is great. And the reason why I like to talk about so much. Listen, you mentioned how many levels there are of autism and how it's such a big spectrum. He was nonverbal until he was like seven or eight. Wow. A lot of kids are still not

verbal at 28 or still have to talk with device. So what I always like to remind people is that every kid is going to have their own journey. Just like I told my daughter, they're all going to have their own journey and they're going to have different levels of, I want to call it success, of dealing with the world and different ways of doing that. Yeah. And so we have to adapt to that. And you know, I always say I wouldn't change RJ for the world

because he's the most amazing kid. You would just love him. But I would try to change the world for him. Like that's so important. And the more we can get the world to understand and accept these young people with what they can give, the better.

This world would be a hell of, a lot better place if there was a lot more acceptance in this world for a lot of different things. For everything. As opposed to fear. There's no reason to fear somebody that's not going to hurt you. Why are we fearing different? How are they impacting your life?

Yeah. And it is not affecting your life. Like, leave these people alone. Leave them alone. And when I mean these people is anybody that you think is different than you. Leave them alone, let them be. And as a matter of fact, embrace them.

Yeah. Like love on them and poor them. So much you can learn. Yeah. From, I mean, like, different worlds, different cultures, different countries, different, different, even from different states in the United States. We all have different, you know, ways of being. Like, embrace it. When I think about the Dodgers and how much they pour on him and love on him, there was a piece that aired during the World Series last year.

Archie does not like to be on camera. They've been trying to recruit him for love on the spectrum. now that's my show so I want him to be on that show and he's like a camera in my face while I'm going on a date he knows his stuff though I mean that's good for him he knows what he wants to do and what he doesn't want to do

yeah so that quickly went away but he can't do that I only have three months off a year you know like his season is long however that would have been cool I would have liked that but he would have been uncomfortable with it but they're trying to recruit him for that But they did this really cool piece, which got nominated for our sports Emmy, which is coming up. So hopefully it'll win.

MLB on Fox and the Dodgers did this story. And in the story, they asked Dodgers about RJ. And each one of them had the exact same reaction. Max Muncie, oh, RJ. Mukie Betts, oh, RJ. Freddie Freeman, oh, RJ. Like each one of them. If you want to know how someone makes you feel, just say their name in front of you.

And you see that reaction. And that's because they didn't know. They're getting interviewed for being in the world series, like press day. They don't know they're getting ready to get asked about RJ. So when their reactions were so pure. And so that's what they tell me is that what he brings to them. So just to your point about people being different and what they bring to a situation. And when you hire inclusively and diversely, you're going to bring.

such a cool flavor to your workplace. And so I just love on the Dodgers and other organizations that hire inclusively like that. Yeah. Inclusive in a word of itself is inclusive. We all want to be included, not excluded. I don't understand why inclusive is such a hard thing for people to understand that it's a good thing. It's a great thing. Diversity. Inclusion. It's like a really good thing. It's a great thing. And when I think about Sesame Street, which was, you know, the OG situation in our family, that was created because kids were black and brown didn't see themselves on TV. So that was all about inclusivity and all about diversity.

And, you know, 55 years later, it's still on the air. So this is a good thing. Yeah. It's a great thing, like you said. It's like we could go on about diversity and inclusion for a long time. But there's some people's minds you're just not going to change at this time because there's so much fear. Yeah. And I just don't understand why that fear is being stoked because nobody that is diverse or inclusive, you would have anything to be afraid of.

Well, we know why it's being stoked. Yes, we do. Okay. So let's talk about your celebrity and you and Rodney. And we're just going to move on past that. Yes, we are. Because you were able to take your celebrity. And I think as someone who, two people who have been celebrities for a very long,

long time. I always wonder, instead of, what can I do with this that makes it helpful, that makes it, like, what can I do with this gift I've been given that makes it not just surface? And you were able to take that and do this thing with your husband to help other people. Do you think it's, it's made it feel more meaningful? Oh, absolutely. It's just another branch on the tree, right? It's like another, and I always say I like acting a lot, but I love being able to help others.

Like, I love it. You really come off like someone who is like being of service is what thrive, what you thrive on. I mean, you know, Marian Wright Edelman, and I think Muhammad Ali said a version of it, services the rent we pay for living.

Like, it just balances me in a way. Now, running a nonprofit is not easy. No. And trying to get that get it funded and what I call creative begging. That is hard, but I'm actually very good at it. Yeah. But I hate it. Yeah. I don't hate it, but it's so hard.

No, I hear you. No. It's so hard. I was just literally coming up the hill, talking, pitching, you know, Hollywood, just something. Oh, yeah, come up there. Because every, and then you don't want people to see you come and go, here, go, that begging lady again. Like, you don't want people to do that. So you want to like, you know, but at the end of the day, you're advocating for people

with no voice. And then it's such a gift. And I remember when RJ got diagnosed and I was sitting in the waiting room, I was sobbing and so sad. And there was like a lady who appeared like a ghost. And she was like,

one day, you're going to find that this day is such a blessing to you. And I was like, shut the hell up, lady. Like, that's the last thing you want to hear, right? When you're in the depths of it, yeah. I mean, as soon as you hear it and you don't even know really what autism is. I mean, it was just,

I just remember that moment like it was yesterday. But now I know what she's talking about because when I'm in an airport and I have lots of partnerships that we've had for 25th. One of my partners is American Airlines. And when I'm in American Airlines, we do something called Cool to Fly American. And we bring 50, 60 families through the airport

because flying was hell for us. Really? And we take them souped nuts from checking in to TSA, all the TSA. Yeah, when you think about it, because I do it all the time. But when you think about the process of it and if you watch somebody go through the TSA, say for the first time.

It's like, yeah, it can be confusing. Well, they're yelling at you. Yeah. Put your laptop in. Go it away. Move it on. Move down. Move down.

It can be scary. It's a sensory. Overload. Like, you will be overloaded beyond. And if you're a kid, RJ used to go through and you're not supposed to touch the sides of the x-ray machine. Well, he always did. They would set him off.

He would run. I would try to chase them. They would chase after me. I mean, we had nightmares. And then being on the plane. None of the flight attendants were trained. So this is, the flying is something that people don't realize how hard it is. And then being on the plane, nobody cares that your kid has autism.

They just don't want you get their seat kicked, you know, and he was a seat kicker. And so it was hard. So this partnership is so cool because we get to help families, and we actually get on a big plane, and we taxi and we simulate a takeoff. We just tax them on the airport. Right, right. And it is a chance for these kids and their families to feel what it's like. It's a sensorial experience.

And it makes such a difference. And I see parents in those moments, Valerie, when those parents come up to me and they start crying and saying, you don't understand what this means to me. I'm like, ma'am, yes, I do, because I was you. And being on these planes were so hard. And everyone's yelling at you. And I cry and I be in the lavatory just like crouched down. and there was no person on the plane

and go, let me take your son for a second because remember I had two. So it's like, you take her, you take. Yeah. Long story short, those moments when I'm like, yeah, this is, this is, this floats my boat. Do I love getting a job and beating someone out and auditioning? No, I hate auditioning, but do I love getting the part and being like,

yay, and now my son can go to college? Yeah, yeah. Sure. But at the end of the day, what Holleyrod Foundation has brought to people because of my work or because of my philanthropy has been unmatched. If someone wants to support Hollyrod, how can they do that? Is there a website they can go to?

Yeah, there's hollyrod.org. You could always make a cash donation or any kind of donation you can volunteer. But I always say because especially right now, people are just struggling. So, like, I know just from asking, even corporations, and they're all cutting back and their donations. I don't see some of these billionaires CEOs struggling at all. No, I don't see that struggling. They're hoarding all that money. I don't see that.

No. But everybody else under them. But some of the billionaires that I deal with, because I do have billionaires that are donors, will say that they're being encouraged to donate less to, oh, I'm going there, to organizations that are led by minority women. stop it. Swear to you. Like that's some kind of mandate.

You know, it's the whole vilification of DEI. No, it's really true. And so that has made me have to be more creative with how I fundraise. Because the corporation and so that used to give us a certain amount, now is cut it back in half. So that is half of the people that we can serve. So I just have to be super creative with how to navigate that until hopefully this is over. I don't know if it's going to be over.

It will be. It will be. Yeah. So, but my point is that so even, and they've been very frank with me about it. Hey, at least there's that. I mean, I'm always looking for the right side of anything, but at least they're honest about it. I mean, it doesn't help at all. But it's better than lying about it, I guess. It's better than lying and being, because, yeah, because I can't, I want to quit some days, but I can't because there's too many people relying on me.

So what are ways that I can. Well, hopefully someone out here watching will go to Hollyrod, Darry. org and do what they can. But the other thing I want to say is the other way you can donate or support is just autism is so prevalent. You know, if you don't know somebody with autism or someone's family with autism, you know someone who knows someone. Yeah.

And let me just say this, and this might be an experience that you have too. The reason autism is so prevalent now is because we're talking about it. Yeah. It's not because it's never been around. It's been around forever. It's never not been around. The reason you're hearing about it now is because we're talking about it and because the diagnoses are easier to find. There's more doctors into diagnosing this so that we can find out more about it.

There's more people advocating for it because there are more mothers and fathers advocating for their children. And there's just more acceptance too. Like even from 2000 when we got the diagnosis to now, just... 26 years later. We're having conversations, not just this kind of conversation, but what we're doing. doing with American or what we're doing with other, other partners. I'm not flying American Airlines a lot more now. You know what I mean?

I'm just saying they... I'm just giving them love because they don't talk about it. Yeah. I have to constantly... I have to constantly go out there. I have to pat them and go, you guys need to get this to... Because I want other airlines to like... Thank you American Airlines.

I want other airlines to be like, hey, let's do this. But also we're talking about this more because the good news is we do live in a world now where we are more acceptance, even though they're a little bit. It feels like we're not. It feels like we're not, but there still is. And so, just, because I can just tell from the difference of just when I sit down and explain what autism is to somebody. Still a lot of ignorance out there, but it's so much less.

And I'd like to, you know, shoot, I'm going to give myself some credit. When we got the diagnosis, I didn't see any celebrities. Actually take that back to celebrities, quarterbacks, as a matter of fact, two football players. Go ahead, Rodney and your football players. players. Doug Flutie and Dan Marino. Wow. They both had kids on the spectrum.

Very good men. Good guys. Yeah. Both advocates for autism back when nobody was saying my son has autism. Right. And I saw a 60 Minutes piece on Dan Marino that gave me hope and inspired me to come out and talk more about autism. And Rodney was in denial for a long time.

And he'll tell you if he was sitting here that, you know, remember I said I had that little, it was a fake divorce lawyer that I had calling. It was my friend from New Jersey. You know what? She did have a law degree. But I said, I need you to call him and tell him that you're drawing up papers. And that was only because he was so in denial. Put a fire under his butt.

I needed to get him going. Yeah. And it worked. Yeah. It worked. And he was just like, you're going to divorce me. I'm like, babe, I need you on my team. Like, don't, not to be corny, but our team needs a quarterback.

You are a quarterback. You got to be here for us. You cannot be out here in denial. this boy is not, you've got to tweak your expectations for him. I think his father instincts kicked in too. It's fathers. It's the machismo of he really, really thought he was running up for hyzman trophy. He really always dreamed that his son would win the Heisman trophy for him.

And that would be the big story. And I'm like, babe. There's more out there than the Heisman trophy. We're just trying to get him to look us in the eye. Yeah. So let's pump your brakes on the expectation. So, and he came around, which he's the best at, right? You know, sweatshirted dad.

Real Canadian Superstore has everything you need this back-to-school season. Save on lunchbox savers like Ziggy's sliced deli-me meat products for always $375. And get life brand pure Vita shampoo or conditioner for $8 each. At Real Canadian Superstore, when you're ready, we're ready, with a whole world and more. That is a great dad. I'm sorry, but any dad that's going to say, you've got your sweatshirt, that's great. Like, you know, you got a couple bucks in your pocket? I just keep the sweatshirts in the car.

by the way, so that we get out of the car when he says it now, we just love it. But at the end of the day, like, we just are seeing way more acceptance right now. We still have a ways to go. Yeah. Because a lot of things are being rolled back, but we're ready to roll forward. We're going to roll those back forward. This is just a little hitch in our giddy-up that we're going to get past. And I believe that we really, sometimes you need to be reminded of how bad it can be.

Yeah. so that you can stay on your road of being the good. You do, you do, because you get a little complacent. Yeah. You know, you get a little complacent. But Dan Marino, Doug Flutie, I always want to thank these are the OGs talking about autism. Like you said, it's been around forever. But not everybody used their platform.

Right. These guys do. And I ran into Dan Marino at a Super Bowl event recently, and I was just like, you don't understand how much you meant to our family in that way. And that's what people say to us. Yeah. You know, thank you for talking about it, especially. especially black and brown families because you don't feel so alone. Yeah, the inequity of services is that's a whole other conversation.

So I'm constantly giving love. But in 2000, we still didn't see enough, which is why, you know, I kind of bullied Rodney into becoming an advocate. I'm very happy to be out now. You thank you for it now. This has been a fascinating conversation. It really went in a direction that I had no idea it would go in. and I'm so glad it did, because the advocacy that you and your husband do is just so important.

It is. I'm going to save some for the full reveal. Okay. So anybody that wants to watch the full reveal, just head on over to Valor's Place.com, and you can sign up, become a member, and you can get these podcasts before anybody else sees them, and you can also get the full reveal. So go ahead and hit up there and sign up. And we'll be back with the full reveal.

I have a really fun recipe for you today. You saw how easy that was. Look at all that flavor we packed into chicken bread. I love the flavor of maple syrup, especially for these kind of muffins. I see all of your comments. I swear I do. You are wondering, where's my show? This is so dang delicious. Smells divine.

That's a jalapeno popper. Oh my God. It's so good! Yes, I'm back, and I am cooking for all of you. All right, Sophie, what are we reheating today? Welcome to Now Vow's Cooking. Guess what we're going to make right now. We're alive.

Hi, everybody. How are you? You have to go to Valerie's Place. That's where you can see our book group, this podcast. That's where you can go for all the cooking that you want to see. Oh, yes. I've missed cooking for you. I'm glad I finally get to do it again.

I'm dancing. That's how good it is. So head to Valerie'splace.com and go ahead and sign up. You guys are the original members, and I can't thank you enough. It's happy time.