Robert De Niro has shared his “love and support” for daughter Airyn, who has come out as transgender.
The Oscar-winning star of The Godfather Part II and Raging Bull shared a statement after Airyn opened up about her transition in a new interview.
Airyn, who started hormone replacement therapy (HRT) last November, said that seeing trans women be “honest and open” online made her realise it wasn’t “too late” for her.
HRT is an important part of the transition process for many trans people and involves the administration of hormones to align a person’s physical characteristics with their gender identity.
“I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” De Niro told Deadline in response.
He continued: “I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
De Niro, 81, welcomed Airyn and her twin brother Julian in1995 with his ex-partner, model Toukie Smith.
In a new interview with Them, Airyn said she wanted to publicly address her transition as she feels she hasn’t “been seen yet”.
She also revealed that, when she attends gatherings with her father’s side of the family, they often speak about how happy her father was when he was in a relationship with her mother.
It was these conversations that made Airyn want to be perceived in the same way her mother is.
“Whether it’s just turning on the charm or not putting on a mask, but wanting to be feminine in a way that’s inviting and warm and welcoming,” she said.
Addressing her Hollywood actor father, Airyn said that she doesn’t see herself as a nepo baby.
“I wasn’t brought up having a side part in one of dad’s movies or going to business meetings or attending premieres,” she said. “My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path. I would want [success] to happen on my own merit.”
Earlier this week, at an event celebrating Francis Ford Coppola, De Niro jokingly thanked the director for not casting him in The Godfather as Sonny, the role played by James Caan, as it freed him up to play the young version of Brando’s character in the 1978 sequel.
The star, who went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role, described it as “the best job I ever, never got”.
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