On Tuesday, April 29, Robert De Niro’s daughter, Airyn, came out as transgender in an interview with Them.
The 29-year-old spoke about her decision, revealing she’s finally “stepping into this new identity,” and admitted she’s excited to finally be seen.
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.’
So how does De Niro feel about her decision? Well, he’s fully supportive. He told PEOPLE that his love has not changed.
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. I love all my children.
Sometimes it can be hard on parents to accept their child transitioning, so it’s nice to see De Niro supporting his daughter. At 81-years-old, we can’t imagine change is easy for him.
For those who don’t know, Airyn is currently studying to become a mental health counselor…
My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path. I would want [success] to happen on my own merit. 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.
