Robert De Niro showed continued support for his transgender daughter Airyn, 29, in an interview with Entertainment Tonight on Wednesday.
“As long as they’re not hurting themselves, doing anything that’s destructive or anything like that, you have to support them. Period,” the actor said.
Robert De Niro at the opening dinner of the 78th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 13, 2025. WireImage
Airyn De Niro. voiceofairyn/InstagramAiryn — who was born with the name Aaron — came out as a trans woman in an interview with Them in April, and her famous father gave her his immediate support.
“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,” De Niro told The Post in a statement at the time.
“I love all my children,” he added.
Robert De Niro at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in France. JP PARIENTE/SIPA/ShutterstockDe Niro, 81, shares Airyn with his ex, model Toukie Smith. They are also parents to Airyn’s twin brother, Julian.
The “Goodfellas” star has five other children. He shares daughter Drena, 57, and son Raphael, 48, with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, son Elliot, 27, and daughter Helen, 13, with ex-wife Grace Hightower, and daughter Gia, 2, with girlfriend Tiffany Chen.
Toukie Smith and Robert De Niro with their two children. voiceofairyn/Instagram
Robert De Niro with his 2-year-old daughter Gia. InstagramIn her interview with Them, Airyn shared that Halle Bailey’s “The Little Mermaid” in 2023 had a huge impact on her decision to come out.
“I think a big part of [my transition] is also the influence Black women have had on me,” she explained. “I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way.”
Airyn De Niro in a selfie. voiceofairyn/InstagramAiryn also shared that being a trans woman means “being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media.”
Regarding her mom and dad, Airyn said, “Obviously, 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.”
Airyn De Niro came out as a transgender woman in April 2025. voiceofairyn/InstagramDe Niro’s support for Airyn wasn’t surprising considering his late father, painter Robert De Niro Sr., lived as an openly gay man after struggling with his sexuality, which reportedly caused the end of his marriage.
Robert De Niro at his master class during the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. JP PARIENTE/SIPA/ShutterstockThe “Taxi Driver” actor kept his father’s legacy alive by appearing in the HBO documentary “Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr,” in which he read his father’s diary entries aloud.
De Niro also received the GLAAD’s Excellence in Media Award in 2016 for his support of the LGBTQ+ community.
