Tia Carrere Shares Teen Son Jude Has Come Out as Transgender: 'He Knows Who He Is and Is Very Happy' (Exclusive)

Tia Carrere is 1 proud mom.

Carrere, 58, tells PEOPLE that her 19-year-old boy Jude, whom she shares pinch her ex-husband, Simon Wakelin, has travel retired arsenic transgender.

"He doesn't emotion nan spotlight," she says of Jude, noting that he did locomotion nan reddish carpet for nan Lilo & Stitch premiere, moreover though Carerre had to miss it because she was connected group doing different movie successful nan Philippines.

"He's much introverted, truthful he decidedly won't spell into acting aliases singing for illustration I did. But he's a awesome artist. I don't cognize what he'll do! Maybe go a expert aliases activity pinch animals. He's moving pinch animals correct now."

Carerre, who roseate to fame successful nan '80s aft being discovered astatine a market shop successful Waikiki astatine property 17, and became a family sanction aft starring arsenic Cassandra Wong successful 1992's Wayne's World, tells PEOPLE she's ace proud of nan measurement Jude conducts himself retired successful nan world.

"He's very matter-of-fact," she says. "He knows who he is, and he's very happy."

She besides adds that Jude is simply a awesome friend.

"He's specified a sweetheart, he's for illustration nan therapist to each nan different kids," she says. "When his friends spell retired drinking aliases partying excessively hard, he's ever nan designated driver, that benignant of caring friend you tin ever thin on."

She continues, "I did a bully occupation pinch that. But I don't want to congratulate myself excessively much! He's his ain person!"

Carrere says that life has been a full whirlwind this past week, starring arsenic societal worker Mrs. Kekoa successful Lilo & Stitch, which is presently nan number 1 movie successful nan world, raking in $341 cardinal globally during its opening weekend.

"I emotion that I'm not a glamorous activity awesome aliases immoderate successful this movie," she says of nan live-action remake of nan 2002 animated film. "It's conscionable bully acting and it's empathetic and it catches your heart, and that makes maine truthful happy."

She adds that she's embracing being backmost successful nan spotlight again and hopes to proceed acting, while besides singing and signaling pinch her philharmonic partner Daniel Ko. (The duo already has 2 Grammys.)

"I want to beryllium doing this for nan adjacent 40 years!" she says of moving successful films and TV and signaling albums. "It's each for this."