Husband doesn't want to go to family event

My family is having a kind of reunion thing we have almost every year. We didn't last year because of covid. My husband doesn't want to go because he's worried about being judged. Everyone knows he did 7 years for drug smuggling charges. I don't think they will judge. I mean he's doing so well. He got a job, he's bonding with our 7 year old, he actually went out and bought me a new wedding ring with his first paycheck to say thank you for being there and sticking around for all these years. Surely people will see how hard he's trying and he's. But he doesn't want to ruin everything for me for being the wife with the felon husband there so he just wants to stay home. He's finally getting his mental health back on track so I don't want to force him to do something that might effect his mental health, but I don't want to leave him home while me and my son go have fun with family. It'll seem like we are ashamed of him and we are NOT.