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De Niro Speaks with Pride
Legendary actor Robert De Niro, at 81 years old, has made an emphatic and heartfelt declaration of support for his daughter, Airyn, who recently came out as transgender. In a public statement shared with PEOPLE magazine, the Oscar-winning star made it clear that his love for his children remains unshaken by identity or public scrutiny. “I loved and supported Aaron as my son,” he said, openly acknowledging his daughter’s previous identity. “And now I love and support Airyn as my daughter.” Without hesitation or ambiguity, Robert De Niro added, “I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.” His words rang with clarity, warmth, and a refusal to treat his daughter’s transition as anything other than natural and worthy of support.
Robert De Niro is a father to seven children, and Airyn is one of his most well-known due to her connection with another public figure—her mother. Airyn and her twin brother, Julian, were born in 1995 and are the children of De Niro and his former partner, Toukie Smith, a successful actress and model. Their two kids were brought up not much in public, partly because of the parents’ choice to give them as much privacy as possible and a life as regular as it could be. Last year, De Niro was blessed with his seventh child, Gia, whom he welcomed together with his now partner, Tiffany Chen, 45. Even through the hard times of a career in the limelight, Robert De Niro has always chosen his family first. His ongoing love and support of Airyn indicated his commitment to being a loving and accepting parent.
Airyn Opens Up
Just a day before her father’s statement made headlines, Airyn herself spoke publicly for the first time about her transition. In an interview with the LGBTQ+ platform Them, she gave a rare glimpse into her experience growing up with high-profile parents while navigating her gender identity. Reflecting on her childhood, Airyn remarked, “Clearly, no parent is perfect, but I am thankful to both my parents that they let me stay away from the eyes of the public.” Through her voice, she expressed gratitude for the conscious decisions her parents had. “They wanted it very private,” she continued. “They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible.” Her words show a deep understanding of the protective bubble her parents tried to create for her, even though their names were constantly in the public eye.
However, despite her parents’ efforts to shield her, Airyn has not always managed to stay away from the public eye because of the self-invited cameras that often come with celebrities anywhere they go. She indicated that she might also happen to be in uncomfortable situations a few times. She said she used to feel the pain of being constantly watched by paparazzi. Earlier this year, she provoked great curiosity when the photos taken by paparazzi leaked to the online press, which, in turn, bombarded a series of headlines that focused on her physical appearance and suggested her transition before she uttered a word about it publicly. These moments, although they were grave, explicitly show how challenging it is to live freely—especially if everyone is poking their noses into your privacy.
Standing Firm in Family Values
Through it all, what stands out most is the unwavering strength of the bond between Robert De Niro and his daughter. His public declaration of love sends a powerful message—not just to his own children, but also to the wider public about what acceptance truly looks like. In choosing to speak plainly and without hesitation, De Niro removes the stigma and sensationalism that so often surrounds stories of transgender individuals, especially those connected to public figures. For Airyn, having the support of her father, who is known across the world for playing bold, complex characters, is not only affirming—it’s healing.
In her deeply personal conversation with Them, Airyn opened up about a common but often painful experience that many public figures endure: being talked about, written about, and dissected by the media, only to realize how little people actually understand who you are. Speaking with sincerity, she recalled, “Not only did they get information wrong about me… They just sort of reminded me that people really don’t know anything about me.” Her words cut to the core of what it means to be reduced to headlines and assumptions. But she wasn’t just evaluating the press-she was highlighting a deeper emotional truth. “There’s difference between being visible and being seen,” she continued. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.” With that distinction, Airyn captured the complex and often invisible journey of identity, especially for someone navigating life in the shadow of a famous parent.
Discovering Her True Self
Airyn came out as gay before transitioning, a label that she felt very true at that time, but one that she eventually realized had not fully captured her experience. It was just part of her self-discovery process of looking for the inner self. As a model, actress, and mental health counselor, Airyn has always explored her identity, both personally and professionally. The realization of being a transgender woman brought not only the understanding of the gender issues but also the awareness of her blackness, which she can connect with and express differently. The transformation that she went through helped her to feel more grounded, more existing, and more complete. Airyn made it absolutely clear that she considers her Black race and trans status to be the same in essence, which means her identity is inseparable.
She revealed the degree of influence Black women had on her life, not only as a strong example but also as a source of inspiration and inner power. “I think a big part of [my transition] is also the influence Black women have had on me,” she disclosed. “I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way.” For Airyn, transitioning isn’t only about gender – it is also about respecting and accepting her racial and cultural identity as a part of who she is. By stepping into her womanhood and her Blackness, she is getting closer to those who were at the forefront of the struggle and are the backbone of the community where she belong.
Overwhelmed by Support
With the release of her interview and the resulting media frenzy, it was only a matter of time before Airyn became the center of a wave of love and support from her fans, followers, and even strangers. Airyn went on Instagram to share her deep appreciation, saying, “Thank you to everyone who’s been so sweet and supportive.” Thus, it can be said that someone who has spent such a long time hidden from the public was completely caught off guard by this sudden attention. “I’m not used to all these eyes on me,” she confessed in her post. Her words were not just an expression of gratitude, but they were also a moment of vulnerability to her own realization that becoming visible can be accompanied by unexpected emotional baggage. Despite everything, she was able to handle the situation with dignity and gratefulness.
As the messages continued to pour in, Airyn shared a glimpse into what the experience felt like behind the screen. The surge of kindness from people all over was beautiful but also hard to manage. She described herself humbly and honestly, saying, “I’m literally just a girl with a phone.” That straightforward phrase not only reframed the mindset about the celebrity but also revealed a young lady who was trying her utmost to acknowledge each act of kindness, word by word. Besides, the sentence itself was a brief nudge that while being in the spotlight, she was still the new kid in her own life—a life that is not recognized by fame only, but also by truth, self-respect, and the hope that at this juncture, people are not just looking at her but really seeing her.
