Airyn De Niro has responded to her father’s public support with a six-minute Instagram video thanking him and her mother.
The 29-year-old daughter of Robert De Niro and his former partner Toukie Smith came out as a transgender woman earlier this week in a Them magazine profile, revealing she began hormone therapy in November 2024. Her father, 81, quickly issued a statement that drew widespread attention for its straightforward warmth.
“I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” the Oscar winner said in his statement. “I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
Airyn addressed the response directly in her Instagram video, which runs over six minutes and 20 seconds. She opened by thanking the wave of supporters who reached out after her coming out.
“I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who sent me all their love and support,” she said in the clip. “Friends, family, strangers, old peers from school, thank you for reaching out, it means a lot.”
She also expressed gratitude to specific figures who helped along the way, including Them interviewer Ava Pauline Emilione and actress Laverne Cox, whom she called an “icon” and a “legend.”
The aspiring mental health counselor then turned to her parents. “I also want to say thank you to my mom and dad for supporting me, and accepting me, and always being there when I need them,” she shared. “I could not have asked for better parents. So thank you.”
Airyn used much of the video to address professional opportunities that have come her way since the profile published, including movie roles and fashion show appearances. She declined them for two reasons, the first being a recent knee surgery. The second reason she explored in more depth, touching on her awareness of her privileged position.
“I know, I recognise I definitely come from a place of privilege, given the environment I live in and who my family is,” she admitted candidly.
She continued: “I don’t feel I’m as deserving of those opportunities – or even as much praise as I’m getting. While I recognise coming out is an act of bravery, especially given the current climate of things, there are folks who have it much harder than I do.”
Airyn emphasized that she hopes industry opportunities go to those who have put in the work to build careers in entertainment, rather than to her.
In the viral moment that preceded this exchange, Airyn had spoken with Them magazine about her journey toward embracing her identity, citing the example of others who had been “honest and open” in public spaces as inspiration. She recalled thinking “maybe it’s not too late for me” before starting hormone therapy last November.
“There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” she told the magazine. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”
She closed her Instagram video with a broader appeal for empathy across political and social divides. “To the folks who support, and to those who don’t support me, I ask that we try to be mindful of other people’s circumstances, especially if we don’t know them,” she said.
“Approach others who think differently than you, or have other views or beliefs than you on anything, try to approach it with more curiosity and give others grace,” she added. “That’s something I think we need more of. The world is heavily lacking empathy so I just thought that was important to say.”
De Niro stars alongside Adam Scott in Netflix’s upcoming serial killer thriller “The Whisper Man.”