NEWSLiev Schreiber Praises 'Feisty' Transgender Child Kai for Being a 'Fighter:' 'Kai Was Always Who Kai Is'
Liev Schreiber recalled the moment he learned Kai was transgender.
May 9 2025, Published 12:12 p.m. ET
Liev Schreiber just opened up for the first time about learning his and ex Naomi Watts' child Kai was transgender.
The actor, 57, detailed how despite their close relationship, he was kept in the dark most of her life.
Kai Schreiber made her runway debut with Valentino.
"Kai was always who Kai is," he told a publication in an interview on Friday, May 9. "But I suppose the most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns. To be honest with you, it didn’t feel like that big of a deal to me only because Kai had been so feminine for so long."
The 16-year-old was thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when she walked the runway and starred in a campaign for Valentino. Her father hopes that she will use her public platform to represent other members of the trans community who may not have the same privileges as her.
"This isn’t just about representing the trans community," he said. "This is actually a community of people who don’t have great resources, who don’t have access to help, who aren’t being protected and looked after by their families. These are people who are being rejected. These are people who are experiencing the harshest version of humanity that we can offer, and some of them are not surviving it."
Liev Schreiber said Kai coming out wasn't 'that big of a deal.'
The Ray Donovan star asserted that when she gets "glam" and "ready to be seen," the real objective is to "[raise] money for a community that desperately needs it."
He is proud of his "fighter" child and encourages her to own her pronouns.
"It’s important that she goes, ‘Hey, I am trans,’ and, ‘Look at me,'" he declared.
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Liev Schreiber's Advice to Parents of Transgender Children
Kai Schreiber attended a movie premiere with her mom, Naomi Watts.
Although he is in full support of Kai, he finds it difficult giving advice to parents of children coming out.
"I don’t know what it’s like for you to be a trans dad," he admitted. "I don’t know how you were brought up. I don’t know what religion you encountered or what your spirituality is. And for me to tell you what I think about my kid feels like an overstep."
He felt more comfortable offering general words of wisdom to parents of teenagers, who can be "hard" and "a headache."
"It doesn’t matter whether they’re trans or not because you’ll come out of this," he explained. "But a trans teen is going to be a teen. They’re such a pain so much of the time, and Kai is as feisty and outspoken as they come."
Liev Schreiber's Thoughts on President Trump's Anti-Trans Acts
President Trump is targeting the transgender community.
President Donald Trump launched a political agenda to block trans citizens from the public sphere, whether denying new passports with "X" gender indicators, reducing federal funding for schools teaching gender equity or banning trans military members. However, Liev chooses to tune out the noise.
"I don’t like to dwell on it too much," he expressed. "To some degree, I feel like I don’t want to overcook that fear or that anxiety. There’s enough in the world to be anxious and afraid about."
