Heather Dubrow's Youngest Child, 12, Comes Out as Transgender, Goes by Name Ace

Heather Dubrow is sharing an update on her youngest child.

The Real Housewives of Orange County star, 54, posted a statement on social media Saturday, sharing that her 12-year-old child has come out as transgender and goes by the name Ace.

Marking International Sons Day, Heather shared a picture of a beach with "Ace" written in the sand, as she wrote in her caption, "We love you, our youngest son, Ace ❤️."

"Our job as parents is to give our kids a safe and supportive environment so they can grow up as healthy, happy, confident, independent humans. Since Ace is a 12 year old child, with a long life ahead of him - we will let him tell his own story someday if he chooses to do so," she continued. "All we can say is Ace, we love you so much and we are proud to be your parents. Your brother and sisters love and support you too ❤️."

Along with Ace, Heather and husband Terry, 64, are also parents to twins Nick and Max, 19, and Kat, 16.

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Chatting with PEOPLE in February 2022, Dubrow shared that, one year after her daughter Max came out as bi, her second daughter Kat came out as lesbian.

"We've got four kids, they are different genders, different sexualities, and all at interesting places in their lives, figuring out who they are and where they belong as humans," said the Bravo star.

Speaking about Ace at the time, Terry said the pre-teen has "always been incredibly strong-willed" and called Ace a "very complex, layered person."

Ace is "going through a lot of self-exploration right now," Terry added at the time.

"Everyone always looked at [Ace] because [Ace] dresses 'like a boy', which, I hate those kinds of labels. It's clothing. Clothing should just be clothing at this point," added Heather.

"Billy Porter wears a gorgeous gown down the runway. He looks phenomenal. What does it matter what we're wearing?" she continued, adding Ace "is a very cool kid."

A desire to share their family's story — and use their platform for good — factored into their decision to return to Real Housewives of Orange County last season. "I felt like our purpose is to keep those conversations going in other families," said Dubrow.

Added Terry, renowned plastic surgeon and the star of Botched, "Coming out with your sexuality is something that broadly affects a lot of different people. We just want people to realize it should be part of normal conversations."

The kids themselves said the live-and-let-live vibe in their home has made a huge difference in feeling at ease as they explore their identities.

"She's asked me trillions of questions that really show she cares," said Kat of her mom at the time. "She's asked me about my pronouns. It's really easy to talk to her. It's not like I have to build up courage if I have something to tell her."