We all know the Braxton family is filled with talent, but Toni Braxton’s and Keri Lewis’ (formerly of Mint Condition) son, Diezel is proving the Braxton ladies aren’t the only ones makin’ moves. According to BCK Online, the Grammy Award-winning singer’s youngest son just inked a major deal that will likely open many doors for his career.
Welcome To Wilhelmina:
On June 29, Toni took to Instagram with a photo of her son, to congratulate him on his new modeling contract with Wilhelmina Modeling Agency. “Congrats Diezy @diezel.braxton on signing to Wilhelmina Modeling Agency!!!” Toni wrote. For those who don’t know, Wilhelmina is a very big deal. Many of the world’s most notable beauty and fashion brands have turned to Wilhelmina for models. So Diezel is well on his way to solidifying his career in the modeling world. However, the latest milestone is bigger than modeling for his mother as it has a deeper significance.
Overcoming Obstacles:
The latest news about Diezel follows a string of reports where Toni has spoken about her son’s autism. When she became an ambassador for Autism Speaks, she began raising awareness about autism. During a past discussion about her son’s condition, she credited early diagnosis to 100 Day Tool Kit from Autism Speaks for her son’s development. “I remember the signs: like no eye contact, very little communication, just little things and I said ‘hmm,'” Toni recalled.
“Autism Speaks is the first organization that reached out to me and said, ‘Look. These are the tools that you need to get your baby on the right track.'” In her memoir, she admitted there were times when she blamed herself for her son’s autism. “As a parent you always feel, was there something I could have done differently. But what I’ve come to understand through my friends at Autism Speaks, is there is nothing wrong with our babies, and it’s nothing you’ve done or you could have done differently, it’s just what the situation is.”
https://youtu.be/qTsTeIGqa7c
Over the years, Diezel has had his share of obstacles with autism and Toni has also revealed how her son has evolved. Not only has Diezel been involved in modeling, he’s also done acting work and even appeared in the Lifetime film Twist of Faith with his mother. Toni revealed Diezel, who was 9 at the time, was supposed to have a larger role in the film portraying the role of her son, but school and other obstacles prohibited him from starring in the film. Even then, he was making progress with autism.
“He was supposed to play my son initially but by the time we worked out the shooting schedule, school had started,” Braxton said of 9-year-old Diezel. (She also has an 11-year-old named Denim.) “Even though he’s considered high functioning right now, he wasn’t in the past, and that’s why I thought him carrying the movie and trying to do the movie and tutoring would have been too much for him,” the 45-year-old singer said.
https://instagram.com/p/BjdXXRcHJSu/
During a previous interview with Essence magazine, Toni explained how things have gotten much better for her son. Back in 2016, Toni revealed Diezel no longer shows signs of autism. “As everyone knows, my son Diezel suffers from – or I should say suffered from autism,” Toni revealed. “He [has] no signs of autism,” she added.
Congratulations to Diezel!
