Robert De Niro has expressed his thoughts following the news that his child, Airyn, has come out as transgender at the age of 29.
De Niro, who is 81, has children with Diahnne Abbott, Toukie Smith, Grace Hightower, and Tiffany Chen. His most recent child was born with Chen in April 2023.
Airyn was born in 1995, together with her twin Julian, during De Niro’s relationship with Smith, whom he parted ways with a year later.
Airyn recently revealed she is transgender in an interview with Them. In the interview, she spoke about her struggle with fitting into traditional beauty standards and feeling like she was always “too much of something or not enough of something” during her upbringing.
After being inspired by other transgender women sharing their experiences, Airyn started hormone therapy in November.
She stated, “Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success… I’m like, you know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me. Maybe I can start.”
Airyn worried that her family might still see her as who she was before transitioning. Following her announcement, De Niro discussed his feelings with People magazine.
The actor emphasized that his love and support for Airyn remain unchanged, declaring, “I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
In her interview, Airyn commended her parents for ensuring her privacy during her childhood, saying they wanted to keep her out of the public eye.
“They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible,” she mentioned.
Being the child of such a prominent Hollywood actor, Airyn inevitably received some attention.
She noted, “There’s a difference between being visible and being seen, I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”
Airyn is currently pursuing studies to become a mental health counselor and aspires to achieve success on her own terms. Her father encourages his children to “find [their] own sort of path.”
She also hopes to serve as an inspiration to others grappling with their identities, stating, “I’d want to hopefully be an inspiration for at least one other person like me who is Black, who is queer, who’s not a size extra small. I’d want to see more trans women, more Black women who are maybe bigger-bodied or don’t fit the mold of super thin or heroin chic.”
If you’re experiencing any of these issues and need confidential support, you can reach the LGBT national hotline at 888-843-4564. The hotline is available from Monday to Friday, 4pm-12am ET, and on Saturdays from 12pm-5pm ET.