\u00a0\u2018I don\u2019t know what the big deal is. I love all my children,’ De Niro said.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-name” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”Black Han Sans|||on|||||” text_text_color=”#000000″ header_4_font=”|||on|||||” header_4_text_align=”center” text_orientation=”center” custom_margin=”||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”]
Words by Alice Hall<\/strong><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/flatplan-plus-content.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2025\/05\/Screenshot-2025-05-02-at-12.46.06.png” alt=”Robert De Niro” title_text=”Screenshot 2025-05-02 at 12.46.06″ force_fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”] Robert De Niro is known for being one of the world\u2019s most famous actors, but he is also a family man and father of seven children.<\/p>\n This month, De Niro’s daughter Airyn came out as transgender in an interview with LGBTQ+ publication Them. Robert De Niro expressed his \u2018love\u2019 and \u2018support\u2019 for his daughter following the interview. \u2018I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,\u2019 he told Deadline in response. \u2018I don\u2019t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.\u2019<\/p>\n Airyn, 29 is one of De Niro\u2019s seven children. He welcomed Airyn and her twin brother Julian in 1995 with his ex-partner, model Toukie Smith.<\/p>\n In the interview, Airyn explained she started to transition last year. She began hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in November, after seeing successful trans women open up about their transitions.<\/p>\n \u2018Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success\u2026 I\u2019m like, you know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me,\u2019 she told the publication. \u2018Maybe I can start.\u2019 As a transgender women, she explained, \u2018there\u2019s a difference between being visible and being seen,\u2019 adding \u2018I\u2019ve been visible. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve been seen yet.\u2019<\/p>\n Alongside Airyn and Julian, De Niro is also father to daughters Drena, 57, Helen Grace, 13, and Gia, 2, sons Raphael, 48, Elliot, 27 and most recently, daughter Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, who he became a father to in 2023 aged 79. In an interview with ET Canada last year, he spoke about celebrating Gia\u2019s first birthday. \u2018She had a little cake, it was nice, very sweet,\u2019 he said. \u2018Well, she’s pure joy, there’s nothing about her, there’s no judgment, there’s no anything, she just is what she is and it’s just pure joy for god sakes.\u2019<\/p>\n Airyn explained that when she attends gatherings on her father\u2019s side of the family, they often mention how happy De Niro was when he was with her mother Toukie. Now, Airyn wants to continue her mother\u2019s example. \u2018Whether it\u2019s just turning on the charm or not putting on a mask, but wanting to be feminine in a way that\u2019s inviting and warm and welcoming,\u2019 she told Them.<\/p>\n <\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_class=”custom-quote” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” header_2_font=”Libre Bodoni|||on|||||” header_2_text_align=”center” header_2_text_color=”#333333″ header_2_font_size=”40px” header_2_line_height=”1.2em” global_colors_info=”{}”] She said that LGBTQ advocate Laverne Cox is one of her role models, alongside Naomi Campbell, Michaela Ja\u00e9 Rodriguez, and Keke Palmer. In response, Laverne posted a touching Instagram video thanking Airyn for the recognition.<\/p>\n \u2018I just read that I’m one of the women who\u2019ve inspired you over the years and I’m deeply, deeply honored that I can be an inspiration for you,\u2019 she said. \u2018Reading that from you, Airyn, was a reminder that I have enough, I am enough, and I do enough, and I want to congratulate you on embracing the beauty that you are and I\u2019m not talking about the outside. I\u2019m talking about the beauty that is being trans.\u2019<\/p>\n Airyn also touched on her own relationship with her father. \u2018Obviously no parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight. They wanted it very private. They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible,\u2019 she said, adding that while she has dreams of pursuing a career in Hollywood, she’d like to achieve it on her own terms. \u2018I wasn\u2019t brought up having a side part in one of dad\u2019s movies or going to business meetings or attending premieres [\u2026] My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path. I would want [success] to happen on my own merit.\u2019<\/p>\n As for De Niro, he\u2019s previously addressed the \u2018nepo baby\u2019 debate. In an interview with People in 2020, he explained that, while he\u2019s not against the concept, his children should only go into acting if they really want to do it. \u2018For my kids, I tell them, ‘If you want to be an actor or you want to do this or that, that\u2019s fine as long as you\u2019re happy. Just don\u2019t sell yourself short,\u2019 he told People. \u2018That\u2019s the most I would say: ‘Push yourself a little more and reach for what you really think it is you want to do. Don\u2019t be afraid.’ It\u2019s important for them to find their own lane.\u2019 He also told ET Canada in 2023 that he De Niro told ET Canada that he has to treat to ride the line between being \u2018loving\u2019 and \u2018stern\u2019 while raising his family.<\/p>\n Airyn is also studying to become a mental health counsellor, and said she hoped that speaking publicly about her transition could be an inspiration \u2018for at least one other person like me who is black, who is queer, who\u2019s not a size extra small.\u2019<\/p>\n Airyn reposted Cox\u2019s video on Instagram this week, and thanked her followers for their support. \u2018Thank you to everyone who\u2019s been so sweet and supportive! I\u2019m not used to all these eyes one me,\u2019 she wrote, endearingly referring to herself as \u2018just a girl with a phone.\u2019<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider color=”#111111″ divider_position=”center” divider_weight=”2px” module_class=”custom-divider” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”0px||0px||false|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text module_class=”credit-texts” _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|||on|||||” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”] Photo: <\/b>Getty<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" His daughter Airyn De Niro came out as transgender in an interview with LGBTQ+ publication Them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":9167,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9165","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature","category-news"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"guestgrazia","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9165","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9165"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9165\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9182,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9165\/revisions\/9182"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9167"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9165"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9165"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flatplanplus.io\/grazia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9165"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}‘I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight.’<\/h2>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]