Robert De Niro issues statement on trans child: 'I don't understand what the big deal is...'
Airyn De Niro - whose mother is actress Toukie Smith - recently opened up about "stepping into this new identity" as a trans woman and now her Hollywood star father, 81, has insisted that he "loves all" of his children no matter what.
He told PEOPLE: "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."
The 'Godfather Part II' star is also father to Drena, 57, and Raphael, 48, with his first wife Diahnne Abbott, Julian, 29, with ex-girlfriend Toukie , as well as Elliot, 26, and Helen, 13, with ex-wife Grace Hightower.
In April 2023, he and his girlfriend Tiffany Chen welcomed daughter Gia into the world.
Airyn, 29, revealed her coming out as she described her desire to be "seen" as who she really is.
She told Them: 'There's a difference between being visible and being seen. I've been visible. I don't think I've been seen yet.'
In the wake of recent news articles about her, the 29-year-old aspiring actress added: "Not only did they get information wrong about me…They just sort of reminded me that people really don't know anything about me."
Airyn struggled to feel accepted by the queer community when she came out as a gay man in high school.
She said: "[Gay men were] ruthless and mean. I didn't even fit that beauty standard, which is thin, white, muscular, or just super fit, masculine.
"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."
She began hormone therapy to start her transition last November and admitted it helped her to see other trans women being successful in the public eye.
She said: "Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media 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...
"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."
And Airyn hopes she can be an "inspiration" to others as she works to achieve her dreams in the worlds of acting and modelling.
She said: "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.
'I'd want to see more trans women, more Black women who are maybe bigger-bodied or don't fit the mould of super thin or heroin chic.'
'I want queer people of colour and bigger-bodied people to have an Alex Consani. I want queer people of colour and bigger-bodied people to have a Hunter Schafer.
'A part of me has always wanted to model and sort of follow my mom's footsteps. Honestly, if I could be on the cover of Vogue with her or recreating one of her pictures, that would be a dream come true.'
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