Actress Holly Robinson Peete and her husband Rodney Peete hosted the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation Blue Diamond Gala. During the event the “Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper” star expressed gratitude for the Dodgers hiring her son, Rodney “RJ” Peete Jr.

“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,” Peete, 58, exclusively told PEOPLE. “So I love this team with my whole heart.”

The mom of four explained to PEOPLE that her son struggled socially during his formative years.

“He didn’t have friends growing up. He has just a whole family around him, outside of his immediate family, who supports him. And he’s like an ambassador here, you know like he’s Mr. Roarke of Dodger Stadium.”

RJ even got to escort his parents around privately, and both said they were so proud of their son.

“It is really about family,” Peete stated. “When you come to Dodger Stadium, it’s a family atmosphere. They do the same thing when they go into the community.”

Holly Robinson Peete Tells Her Son’s Story

In 2018, Peete openly shared her son’s diagnosis, and explained that a definitive “roadmap” was not in place.

“At the time, I didn’t see a lot of people advocating for autism awareness,” the actress told PEOPLE in a 2018 interview.

Eight years after RJ’s diagnosis, the Peete family was still uncertain about their son’s growth and development. “That was such a difficult time,” she said.

Peete decided to speak with the magazine to share her son’s story to bring more awareness to autism. However, her husband was against it initially.

“My husband did not want to do that article. He thought it was labeling RJ and putting him on blast, and he wouldn’t be anything but this kid with autism, and it was going to limit his possibilities in life,” Peete said. “I was this total opposite. I said, ‘We have to talk about this because we have this platform to talk about autism and reach so many others.'”

Holly robinson peete