Robert De Niro is showing “love and support” for his daughter Airyn De Niro, after she recently came out as transgender.
“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,” Robert De Niro told Variety in a statement. “I love all my children.”
In a recent sit-down with Them, Airyn De Niro discussed “stepping into this new identity,” as well as growing up as one of seven children in the De Niro household.
“There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” Airyn De Niro said. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”
She went on to say that “no parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight. They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible.”
In the same interview, Airyn De Niro discussed her inspirations for going public with her transition. Among them was actress Laverne Cox.
“Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success,” she said. “I’m like, ‘You know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me.’”
After the interview went live, Airyn De Niro took to Instagram to express her gratitude for the support of her fans.
“Thank you to everyone who’s been so sweet and supportive! I’m not used to all these eyes on me,” she wrote. “Also for the folks asking if I have representation or signed to anyone, I am literally just a girl with a phone, so sorry if I miss your messages!”
