Robert De Niro Does Not 'Know What The Big Deal Is' With Child Coming Out As Trans

Robert De Niro is not losing sleep over his daughter Airyn's transition!

The legendary actor is backing Airyn with "love" and "support" after she called out media outlets for outing her without permission and labeling her a "nepo baby."

Airyn De Niro, one of Robert De Niro's seven kids, was born alongside her twin brother Julian during his relationship with actress Toukie Smith. 

In a new interview, Airyn shared her experience navigating identity and family life as one of her famous father's seven children.

"There's a difference between being visible and being seen. I've been visible. I don't think I've been seen yet," Airyn stated, describing the emotional journey of living in the public eye without fully being understood. 

The Oscar-winning actor made it clear that his love has not changed. "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," De Niro told Variety. 

Airyn also shared what gave her the courage to speak up. Seeing successful, outspoken trans women like actress Laverne Cox helped her feel less alone. In her words:

"Trans women being honest and open, especially in public spaces like social media. I'm like, 'You know what? Maybe it's not too late for me.'"

After publicly sharing her story, Airyn is feeling the love and keeping it real. While discussing with Them, the daughter of the Hollywood icon reflected on her upbringing and her parents' decision to shield her from the spotlight. 

"No parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight. They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible," she noted. 

Following the release of the interview, Airyn took to Instagram in a since -expired story to thank people for the outpouring of support. "Thank you to everyone who's been so sweet and supportive! I'm not used to all these eyes on me," she wrote. 

She also addressed queries from fans about talent agencies, adding, "For the folks asking if I have representation or signed to anyone, I am literally just a girl with a phone, so sorry if I miss your messages!"

The 29-year-old did not hold back as she opened up about how the public first learned of her transition. She recalled that paparazzi exposed her journey after she was spotted visiting her father at the Greenwich Hotel without her consent or input.

Airyn specifically called out The Daily Mail for using what she felt were harmful and careless words. The outlet ran a headline describing her as "Robert De Niro's nepo baby son" while highlighting her appearance with "heels and pink hair."

Airyn said none of the publications reached out to her before running their stories. "Not only did they get information wrong about me… They just sort of reminded me that people really don't know anything about me," she explained. 

Airyn made it clear she did not ride her father's fame to get ahead and did not appreciate being labeled a "nepo baby." Despite being the daughter of Hollywood legend Robert De Niro, she explained that industry connections or family perks did not cushion her path into voice acting and modeling.

She pointed out that she never had small roles in her father's films, nor did she tag along to industry events or meetings. Instead, she described growing up out of the spotlight and working for every opportunity. Airyn emphasized:

"My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path. I would want [success] to happen on my own merit." 

The budding star also opened up about how being trans added another layer of difficulty. She revealed that she was often ghosted or turned away by casting directors, especially since she refused to name-drop her dad to get ahead.

Airyn shared raw details about the emotional and physical challenges she faced while transitioning, opening up about body image issues and the pressure to fit into narrow beauty ideals.

She said she spent much of her youth hearing she was either "too much" or "not enough" of something. "Too big, not skinny enough. Not Black enough, not white enough. Too feminine, not masculine enough. It was never just, 'You're just right, just the way you are,'" Airyn stated.

Though she had been femme-presenting since middle school, she did not begin hormone therapy until November of last year. The delay, she explained, was partly about timing and partly about wanting to preserve her sense of femininity as she aged.

More than anything, she hoped her story would help others going through similar struggles. In her own words, "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."

By sharing her story, Robert De Niro's daughter Airyn is making it clear that she is ready to be seen, and her father is right there with her.