{"id":4505,"date":"2025-04-30T11:55:45","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T11:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/?p=4505"},"modified":"2025-04-30T18:37:45","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T18:37:45","slug":"robert-de-niros-daughter-stepping-into-new-identity-as-she-comes-out-as-trans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/30\/robert-de-niros-daughter-stepping-into-new-identity-as-she-comes-out-as-trans\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert De Niro\u2019s daughter \u2018stepping into new identity\u2019 as she comes out as trans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"Robert\t<\/div>
Airyn De Niro, daughter of Robert De Niro, has publicly come out as a trans woman (Picture: Getty\/Instagram\/@voiceofairyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Robert De Niro\u2019<\/a>s daughter Airyn has given her first interview, officially coming out publicly as a trans woman, and talking about navigating her journey in the public eye while trying to remain private.<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old was born to the Taxi Driver and Alto Knights star, 81<\/a>, and model Toukie Smith, 72, via a surrogate and alongside her twin brother Julian<\/a> in October 1995.<\/p>\n

An aspiring actress herself \u2013 although one who has forged her own path and avoided using her father\u2019s extensive contacts as a Hollywood legend \u2013 Airyn spoke with Ava Pauline Emilione for Them<\/a>, a leading LGBTQ+ outlet.<\/p>\n

Previously snapped with her long pink hair while visiting her dad at the Greenwich Hotel in New York<\/a>, she now reveals that she booked her first appointment at a Black salon after being inspired by Halle Bailey<\/a>\u2019s locs in Disney<\/a>\u2019s 2023 live-action version<\/a> of The Little Mermaid.<\/p>\n

She has been left \u2018surprised\u2019 by the sudden media attention after living away from the glare of the spotlight.<\/p>\n

 \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 told the outlet.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Robert\t<\/div>
The 29-year-old is also an actor – but one who has been forging her own path in Hollywood (Picture: Instagram\/@voiceofairyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\"NEW\t<\/div>
Her father De Niro, 81, she praises alongside her mother for keeping her childhood ‘very private’ and normal (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While Airyn has been \u2018femme-presenting since middle school\u2019 and initially came out as a gay man in high school, she made the decision to begin hormone therapy in November 2024 so she could maintain her femininity as she got older \u2013 \u2018Who wants to be an old man?\u2019 she asks.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tJoin Metro's LGBTQ+ community on WhatsApp\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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With thousands of members from all over the world, our vibrant LGBTQ+ WhatsApp channel<\/a> is a hub for all the latest news and important issues that face the LGBTQ+ community.<\/p>\n

Simply\u00a0click on this link<\/a><\/strong>, select \u2018Join Chat\u2019 and you\u2019re in! Don’t forget to turn on notifications!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018There\u2019s a difference between being visible and being seen,\u2019 Airyn added to Them of making her gender identity public. \u2018I\u2019ve been visible. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve been seen yet.\u2019<\/p>\n

She revealed she\u2019s been inspired by seeing other people being \u2018honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success\u2019, which made her realise that \u2018maybe it\u2019s not too late for me\u2019.<\/p>\n

Airyn also spoke about the importance of specifically embracing Black femininity, and the influence Black women have had on her, during her transition.<\/p>\n

\n
\n\t\t\"NEW\t<\/div>
Airyn’s mother is Toukie Smith, who welcomed her and twin brother Julian via surrogate and through IVF in 1995 (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\"Robert\t<\/div>
She has also been embracing her Black femininity as part of her new identity, beginning hormone therapy last November (Picture: Instagram\/@voiceofairyn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way.\u2019<\/p>\n

She is also training to be a mental health counsellor, which she juggles with auditions for on-screen and voice-only roles \u2013 which included the role of Jules in Euphoria that ultimately went to Hunter Schafer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Airyn also said she\u2019s been \u2018ghosted or rejected by most casting directors\u2019 as she forges her own way in Hollywood, separate to that of her father and mother.<\/p>\n

\u2018I wasn\u2019t brought up having a side part in one of dad\u2019s movies or going to business meetings or attending premieres. My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path. I would want [success] to happen on my own merit,\u2019 she shared.<\/p>\n

Alongside Airyn and Julian, two-time Oscar-winner De Niro has five other children<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"NEW\t<\/div>
Airyn is one of her father’s seven children (pictured here with daughter Helen and second wife of 20 years, Grace Hightower, in 2015 (Picture: Bruce Glikas\/FilmMagic)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\"HOLLYWOOD,\t<\/div>
He recently welcomed his toddler daughter Gia in April 2023, at the age of 79, with girlfriend Tiffany Chen (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With his ex-wife Dihanne Abbott, whom he divorced in 1988, the pair share son Raphael, while the acting icon also adopted Abbott\u2019s daughter Drena from a previous relationship.<\/p>\n

In 1997, he married second wife Grace Hightower, separating after 20 years of marriage in 2018.<\/p>\n

He and Grace share son Elliot and daughter Helen, while De Niro has since gone on to welcome his seventh child, daughter Gia, at the age of 79<\/a> in April 2023 with girlfriend Tiffany Chen<\/a>, who is in her 40s.<\/p>\n

De Niro is also a grandfather of four through his two oldest children, although the family suffered a tragic loss with the death of his grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez aged 19 in July 2023.<\/p>\n

His cause of death was later confirmed as a drug overdose<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Got a story?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk<\/a> entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff<\/a> page – we\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Airyn De Niro, daughter of Robert De Niro, has publicly come out as a trans woman (Picture: Getty\/Instagram\/@voiceofairyn) Robert De Niro\u2019s daughter Airyn has given her first interview, officially coming<\/p>\n

Continue reading <\/use> <\/svg>Robert De Niro\u2019s daughter \u2018stepping into new identity\u2019 as she comes out as trans<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4505"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4505"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4505\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4514,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4505\/revisions\/4514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.pilotshopworld.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}