Robert De Niro is expressing “love and assist” for his daughter Airyn De Niro after she not too long ago got here out as transgender.
“I liked and supported Aaron as my son, and now I really like and assist Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the large deal is,” Robert De Niro, 81, informed Selection in a press release. “I really like all my youngsters.”
In a latest interview with Them, Airyn, 29, spoke about “moving into this new identification” and shared particulars about rising up as one in all seven youngsters within the De Niro family.
“There’s a distinction between being seen and being seen,” Airyn informed the outlet. “I’ve been seen. I don’t assume I’ve been seen but.”
Airyn stated that “no mum or dad is ideal, however I’m grateful that each my dad and mom agreed to maintain me out of the limelight. They’ve informed me they wished me to have as a lot of a standard childhood as doable.”
She additionally spoke candidly about feeling like a “late bloomer.”
“I used to be all the time informed I used to be an excessive amount of of one thing or not sufficient of one thing rising up: Too large, not skinny sufficient. Not Black sufficient, not white sufficient. Too female, not masculine sufficient,” she defined. “It was by no means simply, ‘You’re good, simply the way in which you might be.’”
She revealed that she determined to start hormone remedy final November.

Get day by day Nationwide information
Get the day’s high information, political, financial, and present affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox as soon as a day.
“I’d need to hopefully be an inspiration for at the least one different particular person like me who’s Black, who’s queer, who’s not a measurement further small,” Airyn stated. “I’d need to see extra trans girls, extra Black girls who’re perhaps bigger-bodied or don’t match the mould of tremendous skinny or heroin stylish.”
Airyn additionally mentioned the individuals she’s seemed as much as when deciding to go public along with her transition, together with Orange Is The New Black star Laverne Cox.
“Trans girls being trustworthy and open, particularly (in) public areas like social media and attending to see them of their success,” Airyn stated. “I’m like, ‘You realize what? Possibly it’s not too late for me.’”
After studying Airyn’s interview, Cox took to Instagram to share a video devoted to her.
“I simply need to take a second and provides a particular shout-out to Airyn De Niro. Hello Airyn, I simply learn that I’m one of many girls who’ve impressed you over time and I’m deeply, deeply honoured that I will be an inspiration for you,” Cox stated.
“I usually have moments — notably in these deeply troubling instances — moments of feeling like I’m not doing sufficient, that I must be doing extra. And I all the time should remind myself that if I can contact one particular person’s life, if I can encourage somebody, one particular person, to be extra themselves, to reside authentically, to embrace each single facet of who they’re, then that’s sufficient.
“Studying that from you, Airyn, was a reminder that I’ve sufficient, I’m sufficient and I do sufficient. I need to congratulate you on embracing the wonder that you’re. And I’m not speaking concerning the exterior, I’m speaking concerning the magnificence that’s being trans.”
After Airyn’s interview was printed, she took to Instagram to thank everybody for all of the assist she’s acquired.
“Thanks to everybody who’s been so candy and supportive! I’m not used to all these eyes on me,” she wrote. “Additionally for the oldsters asking if I’ve illustration or signed to anybody, I’m actually only a lady with a cellphone, so sorry if I miss your messages!”

A screenshot of Airyn De Niro’s Instagram publish.
@VoiceOfAiryn / Instagram
Airyn’s mom is actor Toukie Smith, who shares Airyn and her twin brother Julian, 29, with De Niro.
The Killers of the Flower Moon actor can also be the daddy of daughter Drena, 53, and son Raphael, 48, whom he shares with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, to whom he was married from 1976 to 1988.
He’s additionally father to son Elliot, 27, and daughter Helen Grace, 13, whom he shares with ex-wife Grace Hightower. He welcomed his two-year-old daughter Gia with girlfriend Tiffany Chen in April 2023.
© 2025 World Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.