Airyn, daughter of veteran Hollywood actors Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith, has come out as transgender. In an interview with Them on Tuesday, the 29-year-old aspiring model reflected on her personal transformation and identity. She and her twin brother Julian are among the seven children of the 81-year-old Oscar-winning actor.
“There’s a difference between being visible and being seen. I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet,” Airyn said.
Her remarks came after a recent public appearance sparked coverage by a few media outlets, which, according to Airyn, contained inaccuracies. “They just sort of reminded me that people really don’t know anything about me,” she added.
The interview also addressed the perception that her opportunities stem from her father’s fame — often labeling her as a “nepo baby.” Airyn pushed back on that narrative, saying, “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.”
She credited both her parents with giving her a relatively grounded upbringing despite her family’s high profile. “Obviously, 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,” she said.
Throughout the interview, Airyn spoke openly about the internal struggles she’s faced, especially related to body image and identity. “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,” she said. “It was never just, ‘You’re just right, just the way you are.’ ”
She also shared that she began hormone therapy last November, a decision informed in part by the influence of her mother and other Black women. “I’d want to hopefully be an inspiration for at least one other person like me who is Black, who is queer, who’s not a size extra small,” Airyn said. “I’d want to see more trans women, more Black women who are maybe bigger-bodied or don’t fit the mold of super thin or heroin chic.”
In addition to pursuing a career in entertainment, Airyn is currently studying to become a mental health counselor — a role she hopes will allow her to give back to underrepresented communities. “People of colour and queer people definitely need more mental health advocacy and support. So I’m hoping I’m able to do that,” she said.
