Toni Braxton Didn’t Give Up When Her Son Was Diagnosed With Autism, and Now He Works as a Model and Attends College

In the past decades, the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has increased. For example, 1 in 44 children was diagnosed with autism in 2018. This disorder hinders children’s ability to communicate with other people and learn, but timely diagnostics and the right therapy can change children’s life for the better. Famous singer Toni Braxton found out that autism is not a curse nor a death sentence. The most important thing is not to give up.

The singer quickly realized that her youngest son was not like other children.

In 2001, Toni Braxton first became a mom, and the happy parents named their boy Denim. A year later, when she was preparing for the release of her 4th album, she found out she was expecting a baby again. This pregnancy was tougher, so she was even prescribed bed rest.

The second son, Diezel, was born in March 2003. When the boy was one year old, the singer started to notice worrying signs. Diezel wasn’t like his older brother. He wouldn’t look into other people’s eyes, he’d play alone, and he started talking way later than other kids. For some time, doctors thought he had hearing problems.

Diezel was diagnosed with autism.

Even though the parents started to worry quite early, the boy was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. It was hard to diagnose him before that age because the boy didn’t understand what he was supposed to do during tests.

Experts say that the earlier a doctor can diagnose autism, the faster the child will get the necessary therapy. This means that in the future, the child will be able to be more independent and communicative. The singer urges other parents to listen to themselves and not to ignore the different signs, no matter what their relatives and other people say.

For a long time, the singer felt guilty because Diezel had been born with autism.

Many parents of children with a disability often ask themselves the question of what they did wrong and why their child was born with a disorder. Toni Braxton was not an exception and tried to find the reason.

Doctors couldn’t help her. At first, she thought that it had happened because she hadn’t taken some special vitamins during pregnancy. Then, she decided that her son’s autism was the punishment for the things she had done in her youth that she was ashamed of.

She had problems with her own health.

The singer also had health issues. She would constantly feel sick and tired, and the doctors couldn’t identify the cause. As a result, she had to be hospitalized, and the tests showed that she had systemic lupus erythematosus. Toni remembers that her children were terrified because their mom had to stay in the ward for many months.

She tried her best to comfort her family, but she didn’t understand how to keep living with the illness. At some point, the doctors were convinced she needed a heart transplant but managed to avoid it.

Braxton remembers, “I was petrified, depressed, and scared, but I realized I had to change my life. I may have lupus, but I decided I was not going to be a victim. Now, I listen to my body.” So, she managed to find a balance — she follows a special diet, exercises, and tries to decrease the number of concerts she gives.

The singer believed Diezel benefited from playing video games.

Some kids with autism benefit from combining therapies, but Toni chose a different path. There was only one specialist working with Diezel to help him overcome difficult moments.

The singer is sure that video games had a positive influence on the kid’s health, “I think it’s the best thing for an autistic kid. Their dexterity muscles get sharpened. It helps their occupational therapy.”

The therapy destroyed her own marriage.

When Diezel was diagnosed, one of the Autism Speaks representatives warned Braxton that taking care of the child might impact the relationship between the parents. Mothers and fathers often blame each other for the kids’ condition, so around 80% of families split up.

Unfortunately, her marriage was in that 80%. In 2009, Braxton announced that she and her husband were living separately, and, in 2013, they got divorced. Toni says that their son’s condition wasn’t the main cause, but it definitely contributed to it.

Her older son complained that their family was often called “weird”.

It wasn’t easy for the older boy Denim. His friends would often ask him what was wrong with his younger brother. Denim once told his mom that his friends thought their family was weird. He was always very fond of his brother, but such words would make him really upset. Toni explained what was going on with Diezel, so after that Denim was always protective of him.

After several years, Diezel was able to go to public school.

Over time, Toni learned not to take Diezel’s condition as a curse. She realized that her boy was unique and explored the world in his own way. She remembers, “A friend of mine told me, ‘Toni, all these autistic kids in the world now, they are God’s new angels, and they are here to show us life differently.’ I’ve been embracing that... He’s a wonderful kid.”

The therapy helped Diezel and he started going to public school. Braxton thinks that their family was very fortunate.

At some point, he had almost no signs of autism.

Even though their marriage ended, Braxton managed to restore a good relationship with her ex-husband. Both of them realized that their sons were the most important part of their lives, and they became good friends. The love from his parents, the support of his family, and therapy had a great effect on Diesel.

In 2016, the singer said that the boy no longer exhibited signs of autism. She described his condition, “He’s our social butterfly. He’s the one who plays with friends and hangs out all the time.”

Both of her sons became models.

Even though both parents were into music, Denim and Diezel became models. The younger son signed a contract with a big agency at the age of 15 and was in photo shoots and shows. Later, the older brother got interested in modeling too. In 2021, they appeared on the runway together, showing the Marcell Von Berlin spring collection in Los Angeles.

Diezel entered university.

In 2021, Diezel finished school and was able to enter Howard University. His parents are thrilled about it, and they both attended the graduation party to congratulate him. Braxton wrote on her Instagram, “Congratulations Diesel! Mom is so proud of you.”

We’re incredibly happy for Toni Braxton and Diesel. They’ve managed to walk such a long path with the help of his family and friends. We hope that their example can inspire and bring comfort to other parents and children with a disability.