Justin Timberlake Walks Runway With His Sons and 7-Year-Old Niece Zaya as Down Syndrome Fashion Show Raises Record $2.7 Million
Singer and actor Justin Timberlake took to a runway this weekend not for his own work, but for his 7-year-old niece. On the night of November 7, at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado, the Global Down Syndrome Foundation held its 19th annual Be Beautiful Be Yourself fashion show, and Timberlake, 45, walked the runway with his two sons, Silas, 11, and Phineas, 6, alongside his niece Zaya Biel. After video and photos from the evening spread on social media, he posted photos to his Instagram Stories, writing: 'We walked my beautiful niece Zaya down the @globaldownsyndrome runway last night. Proud uncle!'
According to PEOPLE, Zaya is the daughter of Justin Biel, the brother of Timberlake's wife Jessica Biel, and his wife Rose. Zaya has Down syndrome and previously served as a GLOBAL Ambassador for the foundation. She wore a poofy white dress decorated with black bows, while Timberlake and his sons wore black jackets with matching pants. At one point Timberlake lifted Zaya into his arms and the two waved to the cheering crowd; the group then danced together on the runway before turning and walking back. Zaya waved and blew kisses along the way, becoming one of the night's standout models.
In a statement shared with the foundation, Timberlake said: 'Jessica and I adore Zaya, and we couldn't be prouder of the remarkable difference she is making in the world. Every person with Down syndrome deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential, and that's why GLOBAL's work means so much to our family.' Jessica Biel was unable to attend this year because of work commitments; at last October's show, she was the one who walked the runway hand in hand with Zaya.
According to the foundation's news release, the sold-out show drew 1,400 guests, with 21 models with Down syndrome taking center stage alongside figures from entertainment and sports, and raised a record-breaking $2.7 million to support Down syndrome research, medical care and advocacy. The event has raised more than $36 million since its inception and is billed by the foundation as the world's largest fundraiser for Down syndrome. This year's 2026 GLOBAL Ambassador, Letizia Napoleone, walked alongside actor Geena Davis, and journalist Maria Menounos and actor Kennedy Garcia received the foundation's highest honor, the Quincy Jones Exceptional Advocacy Award.
Michelle Sie Whitten, the foundation's co-founder, president and CEO, said the show sends the message that people with Down syndrome deserve to be celebrated, included and invested in, and that celebrities, honorees, donors and families from 23 states and 10 countries had joined to raise critical funds and awareness.
Related: Global Down Syndrome Foundation Awards $75,000 to 10 Organizations in U.S. and Canada
Source: Global Down Syndrome Foundation
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Justin Timberlake本人资料图（Gage Skidmore摄，CC BY-SA 2.0，经Wikimedia Commons），非本次活动画面。/ File photo: Justin Timberlake (by Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons); not a photo from this event.
