Airyn De Niro, daughter of Robert De Niro, comes out as transgender in powerful interview

Airyn De Niro opens up about transitioning, embracing identity, and advocating for mental health support.

In an interview released on Tuesday, Iryn De Niro, the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro, talked candidly about beginning hormone therapy and coming out as transgender.

In an interview with Condé Nast’s LGBTQ publication, Them, the 29-year-old discussed experiencing feelings of isolation. As a child, Airyn De Niro, whose mother is Toukie Smith, characterized herself as a “late bloomer” who did not conform to social norms.

“I was always told I was too much of something or not enough of something growing up: too big, not skinny enough,” she stated to the newspaper. “Neither white nor Black enough. Not sufficiently manly, too feminine. “You’re just right, just the way you are,” was never the case.

Last year, Airyn De Niro attributed her decision to accept her femininity to the experiences of openly transgender women, such as Laverne Cox and lesbian icon Marsha P. Johnson.

“Seeing trans women succeed and being open and honest, particularly [in] public places like social media… “You know what?” she asked. Perhaps I still have time,” she remarked.

She continued by saying that in addition to embracing her gender identity, she has been able to accept her Black heritage and has been impacted by Black women.

She claimed that getting dreadlocks was one of her first overt displays of gender identity after seeing Halle Bailey in the 2023 live-action movie “The Little Mermaid.”

Airyn De Niro, who is the daughter of two actors, said that her parents did all in their power to keep her out of the spotlight during her early years. According to her, her father also insisted that she choose her own professional route.

In addition to expressing her appreciation for that upbringing, she stated that she wants to go public now so that others have someone to strive for. Additionally, Airyn De Niro stated that she is pursuing a degree in mental health counseling in order to support the community at a time when transgender civil rights are being targeted.

“People of color and queer people definitely need more mental health advocacy and support,” she stated. Therefore, I’m hopeful that I can accomplish that.