Robert De Niro’s daughter, 29, comes out as transgender in first public interview

Robert De Niro’s daughter, Airyn, has come out as transgender in her first public interview. The 29-year old revealed that she had begun hormone replacement therapy in November last year.

The actor’s daughter opened up about her sexuality and how she hopes to be a role model for queer women of color. In an interview with Them, Airyn shared the reason behind why she wanted to publicly discuss her transition. “There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” she said.

“I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”

She continued: “Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success… I’m like, you know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me.

“Maybe I can start.”

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Airyn came out as a gay man as a teenager but shared how she never felt as though she fit in at high school. “I was always told I was too much of something or not enough of something growing up: Too big, not skinny enough,” she said.

“Not Black enough, not white enough. Too feminine, not masculine enough. It was never just, ‘You’re just right, just the way you are’.”

However, the actor’s daughter shared how beginning hormone therapy in November 2024 helped her. “I think a big part of [my transition] is also the influence Black women have had on me. I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way,” she added.

Family life

Robert welcomed his daughter alongside her twin brother Julian with his ex-partner Toukie Smith in 1995. “I wasn’t brought up having a side part in one of dad’s movies or going to business meetings or attending premieres. My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path,” she shared.

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“I would want [success] to happen on my own merit.”

Future

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Airyn detailed her hopes for the future and the stars that she looks up to regarding queer advocacy. “I want queer people of color and bigger-bodied people to have an Alex Consani. I want queer people of color and bigger-bodied people to have a Hunter Schafer,” she said.

“A part of me has always wanted to model and sort of follow my mom’s footsteps. Honestly, if I could be on the cover of Vogue with her or recreating one of her pictures, that would be a dream come true.”