“The Godfather” actor has addressed the news after one of his seven children publicly revealed her true identity.
Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro has addressed the news that his child, Airyn, has come out as transgender. In a brief statement, he said, “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” Robert told People in a statement.
The 81-year-old actor simply added, “I don’t know what the big deal is, I love all my children.” Airyn is one of Robert’s seven children. Her mother, actress Toukie Smith, shares Airyn and her twin brother Julian with the actor.
Julian has followed in their father’s footsteps and pursued acting. In 2021, Deadline reported that he was cast as a young Barack Obama in “The First Lady,” a Showtime anthology series. The role explored Obama’s early adult years as a community organizer and law intern in Chicago, where he met Michelle Robinson.
While Julian pursued a career in front of the camera, Airyn began navigating a more personal kind of visibility. After media outlets dubbed her public appearance in March 2025 a shocking transformation, Airyn shared her story about her transition.
In an April 29 interview with pop culture outlet, them, Robert’s 29-year-old daughter opened up about being transgender, discussing her influences, her life, and how she forged her own path and identity. Photos released alongside the interview sparked a flurry of reactions online.
Bathed in soft light and wrapped in a floral off-the-shoulder dress, Airyn stood in quiet defiance of expectations — a vision of grace and radical self-love. Her pink locs, cascading past her shoulders in gentle waves, were more than a fashion statement; they were an embodiment of what the publication called “Black, radical femininity.”
In a series of photos captured by Aleck Venegas for the outlet’s profile, Airyn offered more than a look — she offered a moment.
One portrait showed her leaning thoughtfully against a doorway, the camera captured a quiet determination in her gaze as her words echoed in the Instagram post’s caption, “Trans women being honest and open […] and getting to see them in their success… I’m like, you know what? Maybe it’s not too late for me. Maybe I can start.”
The accompanying editorial by Ava Pauline Emilione called attention to the emotional heartbeat of Airyn’s public emergence — each image was not just a visual, but a step into a fuller, more truthful existence.
“With each moment of gender euphoria,” the caption read, “like feeling beautiful in a dress for the first time or wearing baby pink locs,” Airyn carved space for herself and others.
The post emphasized that her decision to step into the public eye was rooted not only in self-celebration, but in her desire to expand trans visibility, honor Black and queer ancestors, and help protect the futures of those still finding their way.
Around the same time them’s feature went live, Airyn took to Instagram to personally thank the outlet, captioning her post with a warm and emotive, “More photos with @them 🤗💕 thank you for sharing my story and thank you to the entire team.”
Accompanied by a carousel of images, her post captured both the vulnerability and radiance of a woman stepping confidently into her own.
In one standout image, she leaned against a marbled wall, clad in a powder-pink hoodie and matching pants, the hood partially raised as her cotton-candy locs framed her face.
Across other frames, Airyn shifted effortlessly between moody elegance and whimsical grace — from a close-up of her serene expression nestled in rose petals to a candid moment in her floral off-shoulder dress, exuding both softness and strength.
With each pose and palette, she continued a visual dialogue that echoed the deeper themes of the interview itself — joy, freedom, and a reclaiming of self on her own terms.
As Airyn’s photos circulated on social media, the public response was swift and overwhelmingly celebratory. Viewers flooded comment sections with admiration, affirming not only her beauty but also the confidence she radiated in each frame.
One fan effusively remarked, “Ugh the pink hair and makeup really brings out the shape of her face and eyes. I’m so jealous on how gorgeous she is 😭😭 [sic],” while another echoed a similar sentiment, declaring, “She’s ethereal-looking!”
Compliments continued to pour in, celebrating both her aesthetic and emotional transformation. “Oh [sic] she’s a stunner! She looks so happy, comfortable, and confident in her true self and light. Good for her,” gushed a supporter.
Taken aback, someone else exclaimed, “Wow [sic] I’m so shocked 😳🤦🏽♀️.” Several people described Airyn as “absolutely stunning,” admiring how seamlessly her pink locs complemented her features.
Observers also took note of her father’s genetic influence, with one commenter pointing out how “Robert De Niro’s bone structure lends itself to an absolutely platinum face card on a girl,” and another plainly stating, “Looks just like dad.”
Still, it wasn’t just her looks that struck a chord. Others commented on the authenticity and ease she projected, noting, “She seems very comfortable in her identity now. Good for her.”
Airyn’s decision to share her truth publicly came over a month after a different kind of spotlight was cast on her — one she hadn’t asked for. In March 2025, paparazzi snapped a photo of her leaving the Greenwich Hotel after visiting her father, prompting tabloids to speculate wildly about her appearance.
One article from the Daily Mail dubbed the sighting a “rare outing” in which “Robert De Niro’s son” was seen looking “dramatically different,” referencing her pink locs, heeled boots, and a black beanie.
The piece offered little more than biographical filler and misgendered her throughout, referring to her by her deadname and past identity, all while marveling at her “whole new look.”
The coverage caught Airyn off guard — not just for its timing, but for its carelessness. “I actually didn’t find out about the Daily Mail thing until like a week after it was posted,” she revealed during her them interview. What unsettled her most wasn’t just the misreporting, but the way her story had been flattened into a clickable spectacle.
“Not only did they get information wrong about me… They just sort of reminded me that people really don’t know anything about me,” she said.
Airyn also highlighted that the headlines largely recycled facts about her dad, mom, Toukie Smith, and twin brother, Julian, while ignoring who she was becoming.
The tabloids also branded her a “nepo baby” — a term she found dismissive, given how intentionally she has kept a low profile and worked quietly toward her own goals.
Raised mostly out of the spotlight, Airyn was born in 1995 to Robert and the model-actress, a pair who, despite their fame, made a concerted effort to shield their children from the glare of public life.
“They wanted it very private,” she shared, reflecting on her relatively quiet upbringing. “They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible.”
That quietness made the recent media storm all the more jarring for her — a stark contrast to the intentional privacy her early years were shaped by.
Airyn also shared that she had been femme-presenting since middle school and began hormone therapy in November 2024, after years of feeling like a “late bloomer.”
Her decision wasn’t sudden, but rooted in a long-held desire to honor and maintain the femininity she had always carried inside. “Who wants to be an old man?” she asked rhetorically.
Her story is not about escape, but arrival. “I think a big part of [my transition] is also the influence Black women have had on me. I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way,” she divulged.
