Although Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro is one of the most recognizable faces of our time, he does his best to keep his seven children, between the ages of 2 and 57 out of the spotlight. But now, one of his offspring is coming into her own and living her truth on her terms.
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Airyn De Niro (born Aaron), the 29-year-old daughter Robert shares with actress Toukie Smith, just sat down with Them Magazine to talk about her decision to come out as a transgender woman. In the interview, the young De Niro, who has a twin brother, Julian, reflects on coming out as a gay man in high school but still feeling like she didn’t fit in because she didn’t conform to the thin, Eurocentric standards of beauty.
“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 said.
Although her teens and early twenties were emotionally tough, Airyn says since making the decision to begin hormone therapy in November 2024, she finally feels like she’s finding her true identity – and loving her pink locs that were inspired by Halle Bailey’s “The Little Mermaid” look. She added that she took inspiration from strong Black women in her family and the entertainment industry, including Laverne Cox, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez and Jools Lebron.
“I think a big part of [my transition] is the influence Black women have had on me,” Airyn said in the interview. “I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way.”
Airyn told Them she hopes that sharing her story helps others who see that there is no such thing as one size fits all.
“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,” she 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.”
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