Stephanie Mills Gushes over Her Special Needs Son Farad Who Wrote a Book

Theatre legend and R&B singer Stephanie Mills just took to Instagram to praise her special needs son Farad J Mills turning 20 soon and promoting his book in a post shared on Thursday.

Stephanie Mills just shared a post on her Instagram acknowledging her special needs son Farad's upcoming birthday and reminding her fans to purchase a copy of his book which was published in 2019.

Mills posted an adorable picture of her son holding a copy of the book which is titled "The Adventures of Farad J," and wearing a Nike khaki military jacket. Farad beams happily in the picture.

Farad, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome at the age of two, has grown up to exceed his mother's expectations in leaps and bounds. Now an author of his debut novel and a college student, it is understandable that Mills is proud of her son.

Mills, who is known for acting on Broadway's "The Wiz," has been advancing her son's book (which is a children's novel about pranks) since its inception three years ago. She wrote in the caption of the post:

"My young man will be turning 20 years old in a couple weeks. I am super happy for all of his accomplishments."

Mills gave birth to Farad in 2001 and stated that having a child had completely changed her perspective on life. The theatre actress has been divorced three times and has kept the identity of her child's father a secret.

As a single mother, when her son was born, she received assistance from her parents Joseph and Christine, in Charlotte, North Carolina. Farad's arrival also inspired his mother to release her second studio album, "Born for This."

Mills had a relationship with the King of Pop and reported that he was often misunderstood.

Stephanie has often said that having her son was the best thing that ever happened to her and that he helped her become a softer person. The R&B songstress is known to be abrasive at times, especially when she has an opinion on something.

Take, for example, her response to Nicole Curran on Instagram after she dared to lean over one of her idols, Beyoncé, at the NBA Finals in 2017. She strongly criticized her on social media saying:

"FYI: little nasty Nicki, NEVER disrespect the Queen B by leaning over her."

Some other celebrities Mills is fond of (and by extension defensive) include Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Michael Jackson. In fact, Mills had a relationship with the King of Pop and reported that he was often misunderstood.

In 2012, she admitted that she thought she had a chance of marrying the "Beat it" singer. Stephanie believes that it was Jackson's sensitivity that made the artist so misconstrued in the media.

Mills even went so far as to attack Sam Smith when he confessed that he wasn't the biggest fan of MJ. Sometimes overzealous about slightly irrelevant issues, Mills is thankfully just as outspoken about what she believes in.

In an interview, she advised parents with special needs children, encouraging them to lower their personal standards for success and give their kids some extra love. Mills also credited her faith in God for her ability to get through everything.