Here’s a tearjerker of a story. Fat Joe recently opened up about the heart-wrenching experience of raising his son, who has Down syndrome, after the child’s mother abandoned him following the diagnosis. During an emotional appearance on Shannon Sharpe’s Club Shay Shay podcast, the rapper shared the painful memory of his ex-partner walking away from their child and how he, alongside his own family, took on the responsibility of raising his son alone.
This is tough but we appreciate the realness of it all … Joe recalled the difficult moment when doctors informed them of the diagnosis: “So, the doctor tells us, ‘I got bad news to tell you… [your son] has Down syndrome and it’s gonna be a big challenge.’” Joe explained that he was in the room with both his parents and his son’s mother. But, to his shock, the mother immediately rejected the idea of taking on the challenge. “And [my son’s] mother said, ‘Yo, I can’t do this, I’m going to have to give him up for adoption.’ My mother was like, ‘You crazy, bi**h, I’m not giving up—.’” Joe then shared the painful reality: “I never seen his mother again… She never visited him again. I’m not here to kick and — you know, she abandoned the kid.”
While reflecting on the admirable journey in raising his son without his mother’s involvement, Joe and his family stepped up. “We raised him by ourselves,” Joe shared, emphasizing that the door had always been open for the mother to return, but she never did. “It wasn’t like I kept the door closed where she couldn’t see her son. It was always available for her… But we got wicked people out there — whether male or female — and it’s usually the other way around: the baby comes out with Down syndrome, and the man runs away. Shame on you.”
What’s more, the rapper then spoke directly to other fathers, highlighting the importance of never giving up on their children. “But a father has to be a father, [and] I don’t know how to be a fake father. I gotta take care of my kids regardless, and I don’t know how to give up on my kids,” he declared. Joe also acknowledged the challenges his son has faced but praised his child’s spirit. “He’s had his challenges, my son — I don’t know if other kids autistic or on the spectrum [are like this], but this guy happy. Swear to God, he’s always happy. He’s never sad. He’s the Don.”
Towards the end of the conversation, Joe expressed that his son has been his “biggest blessing,” saying that because they never gave up on him, God has continued to bless their family.
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