Robert De Niro’s daughter is speaking her truth.
At 29, Airyn De Niro is coming out as a trans woman and discussing the surprising motivation that led her to follow through with her gender journey, which included beginning hormone therapy last November.
Speaking candidly with Them in her first-ever interview, the movie star’s daughter, whom he shares with ex Toukie Smith, shared that Halle Bailey’s “The Little Mermaid” in 2023 had a huge impact on her.
In the article, De Niro said the turning point came when she made her first appointment at a black hair salon after seeing Bailey in the classic film’s live-action adaptation.
“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.”
De Niro — who was born with the name Aaron — shared that being a trans woman means “being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media.” Seeing so many before her succeed only added to her desire to come out.
“I’m like, ‘You know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me. Maybe I can start,’” she shared.
De Niro also discussed growing up with famous parents who kept her out of the spotlight.
Her father, 81, has received nine Oscar nominations and two wins under his belt. He has appeared in more than 120 projects, including classic movies like “The Godfather Part II” (1974), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “The Deer Hunter” (1978), “Raging Bull” (1980) and “Meet the Parents” (2000).
Her mother, 72, is a model and actress.
While De Niro revealed she hoped to follow in her mom’s footsteps as an actress and model, she disclosed why she doesn’t want to be called a nepo baby — saying her parents worked hard to keep her out of the spotlight.
“Obviously, no parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight,” she told the outlet. “They wanted it very private; they have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible.”
She added: “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. I would want [success] to happen on my own merit.”
Addressing her own body issues, De Niro said, “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 hopes that by sharing her story she can help others to push forward.
“There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” she clarified. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”
De Niro’s superstar father has a total of seven children, including Airyn and her twin brother, Julian.
Her siblings include Drena, 57, Raphael, 48, Elliot, 27, Helen, 13, and Gia, 2, all from the actor’s previous relationships.
