Robert De Niro has shared his reaction after one of his seven children, Airyn, came out as transgender at 29 years old.
At 81, Robert De Niro has children with four women: Diahnne Abbott, Toukie Smith, Grace Hightower, and Tiffany Chen. His most recent addition to the family arrived with Chen in April 2023.
De Niro’s daughter, Airyn, was born in 1995, alongside her twin brother, Julian, during De Niro’s relationship with Smith, which ended the following year.
Now, Airyn has come out as transgender in an interview with Them, sharing that growing up, she struggled to meet societal “beauty standards.” She revealed she was often told she was “too much of something or not enough of something,” which made it difficult to feel accepted.
After seeing other trans women share their stories and transitions, Airyn decided to start hormone therapy in November.
She explained, “Seeing trans women being open and honest, especially in public spaces like social media, and watching their successes… I thought, maybe it’s not too late for me. Maybe I can start now.”
Airyn did admit to concerns that her family might still see her as the person she was before transitioning. In response to her announcement, De Niro spoke to People about his feelings.
The actor reassured that his love and support for Airyn had not changed. “I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” he said. “I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
In her interview, Airyn also praised her parents for keeping her out of the public eye, sharing that they wanted her childhood to remain “very private.”
“They’ve always wanted me to have as normal a childhood as possible,” she shared.
However, as the daughter of one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Airyn couldn’t escape attention.
“There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” she said. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”
Looking ahead, Airyn is now pursuing a career in mental health counseling, determined to succeed “on my own merit,” with her father encouraging his children to “find [their] own path.”
Airyn also hopes to inspire others who may be struggling with their identity. “I want to hopefully be an inspiration for at least one other person like me—someone who’s Black, queer, and doesn’t fit the mold of extra small,” she said. “I want to see more trans women, more Black women who are bigger-bodied or don’t fit the super-thin, heroin chic standard.”
