Tia Carrere revealed that her son, Jude, 19, has come out as transgender.
“He’s very matter-of-fact. He knows who he is, and he’s very happy,” Carrere, 58, told People recently.
The Wayne’s World actress, who shares Jude with her ex-husband, photojournalist Simon Wakelin, continued to express how proud she is of her son.
“He’s very compassionate, serving as the go-to person for all the other children, like a therapist. When his peers engage in excessive drinking or partying, he consistently assumes the role of the designated driver – a caring companion you can always depend on,” Carrere remarked.
“I did a good job with that. But I don’t want to congratulate myself too much! He’s his own person,” she continued.
The former participant of Dancing With the Stars lent her voice to Nani Pelekai in the original 2002 animated movie Lilo & Stitch. Recently, she portrayed Mrs. Kekoa in Disney’s live-action adaptation of the popular film, while Jude walked the red carpet alone at the premiere. (She was unable to attend the event as she was filming in the Philippines.)
“He shies away from the limelight,” Carrere confessed. “Being more introverted, he has no intentions of pursuing a career in acting or singing like me. Nonetheless, he possesses exceptional artistic abilities. His future path remains uncertain! Perhaps he will venture into medicine or pursue a career involving animals. Currently, he is involved in animal-related work,” she shared.
As for her role in the live-action Lilo & Stitch, which topped the U.S. box office last week, Carrere couldn’t be more pleased with the film.
“I love that I’m not a glamorous sex symbol or whatever in this movie. It’s just good acting and it’s empathetic and it catches your heart, and that makes me so happy,” she told People.
Carrere got her break on General Hospital before going on to appear in the Wayne’s World franchise and other movies, including True Lies and Kull the Conqueror.
The actress and singer also appeared on season 2 of Dancing With the Stars and season 5 of The Celebrity Apprentice.
