NEWSRobert De Niro’s Daughter Airyn Comes Out as a Trans Woman: 'Never Too Late'
Robert De Niro’s daughter, Airyn, opened up about her transition.
May 3 2025, Published 6:55 p.m. ET
Robert De Niro's daughter Airyn De Niro came out as a transgender woman and is on the process of carving a path away from the spotlight.
Daughter to Robert and ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith, Airyn is more than just a name, she’s a fierce advocate and a voice for her generation.
In a April interview with Them, Airyn shared that she started hormone replacement therapy, while becoming candid about her coming out journey.
Airyn De Niro gave a glimpse inside her new journey.
"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," she shared.
In February, Airyn provided a glimpse into her ongoing journey of self-discovery and transformation, humorously noting, "Patiently waiting for my t--- to grow in," on Instagram.
Born on October 20, 1995, and assigned male at birth alongside twin brother Julian Henry Deon, Airyn stepped into her identity as a transgender woman, proudly using she/her pronouns.
Airyn De Niro's parents are Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith.
She first came out as a gay man in high school, but as she reflected on the standards within the gay community, she realized that she did not fit in.
"[Gay men were] ruthless and mean. I didn’t even fit that beauty standard, which is thin, white, muscular, or just super fit, masculine [...] I was always told I was too much of something or not enough of something growing up: 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,'" she shared.
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Airyn De Niro first came out as a gay man but realized she wasn't comfortable with it.
Embracing her black ancestry and femininity inspired her to come out as a trans woman later on, adding that she was inspired by Halle Bailey in The Little Mermaid.
In the same interview, she also addressed the common label of "nepo baby" – a title she fiercely rejects. "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," she stated.
Airyn De Niro rejected the label of 'nepo baby.'
"They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible," she continued.
Despite her famous lineage, Airyn is dedicated to forging her own identity in the industry.
With both modeling and acting in her sights, Airyn revealed, "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."
Yet the journey hasn’t been without bumps. Reflecting on her struggles, she spoke of coveted roles slipping through her fingers, like the part of Jules in Euphoria.
"I had two auditions for this video game, League of Legends... Obviously it didn’t happen. I was like, ’What’s the point?’ It’s the really big auditions that you’re like, ‘F---, this could have been life-changing, but it just I wasn’t the right fit.’ And sometimes it’s hard to not internalize that," she shared.
