Robert De Niro has issued a statement. Credit: Getty Images
Robert De Niro has shared a heartfelt statement following his daughter Airyn’s announcement that she is a transgender woman. The actor expressed his love and support, saying, “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
Airyn, De Niro’s 29-year-old daughter, grew up out of the spotlight with her twin brother, Julian.
Her parents kept her away from the limelight. “They wanted me to have a normal childhood,” she said.
In an interview, she shared, “Maybe I can start now.” As she embraces her true identity, Airyn is stepping into the public eye on her own terms. “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.”
Airyn started hormone therapy in November 2023. Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid, especially Halle Bailey’s portrayal of Ariel, influenced her decision to go public.
“Black women have influenced me,” she said. Embracing her Blackness and new identity, she feels closer to them.
Visiting a Black hair salon marked a powerful turning point. Growing up, she was told she was “too much” or “not enough.”
“It was never, ‘You’re just right,'” she said. Airyn hopes to inspire others.
De Niro, 81, expressed love and support for his daughter Airyn after her public coming out.
“I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is,” he said.
“I love all my children.” Airyn has shared the mental and emotional challenges she’s faced, describing herself as a “late bloomer” and discussing her struggles with body dysmorphia.
But she’s also committed to turning her experiences into advocacy, as she studies to become a mental health counselor.
“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,” she said. “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.”
She also addressed the frequent “nepo baby” label attached to celebrity children: “My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path,” she said. “I would want [success] to happen on my own merit.”
