One Of Robert De Niro’s Twins Discloses She Is Transitioning

Robert De Niro’s daughter Airyn came out as transgender in a news article Tuesday, saying she began hormone therapy in November.

“I think part of me is concerned that [my family] will maybe still think of me as the person I was before the transition,” she told the outlet Them.

But she is confidently moving forward.

“There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” Airyn said. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”

Airyn De Niro and twin brother Julian were born to the Oscar-winning actor and then-girlfriend Toukie Smith in 1995. Her parents helped her keep a low profile growing up, she said. Recent tabloid reports about her feminine appearance forced her into the public eye.

“Not only did they get information wrong about me … they just sort of reminded me that people really don’t know anything about me,” she said to Them.

Airyn, who’s an aspiring actor, has been “femme-presenting” since middle school, the outlet wrote. Her decision to move forward with a transition was fueled by her desire to maintain her femininity as she aged and the positive stories of others who transitioned.

“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,” she told Them. “Maybe I can start.”

In a statement on Wednesday, Robert De Niro said he loves and supports his daughter.

“I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” De Niro said. “I don’t know what the big deal is . . . I love all my children.”