Airyn De Niro, daughter of legendary actor Robert De Niro and actress Toukie Smith, is sharing her incredible story. Judge’s story, told in an interview with Them published Tuesday, recounts her experiences. In a wide-ranging, candid discussion, Airyn De Niro opened up about her process of understanding gender identity and her ongoing transition. She ruminated on how her family and social media shaped her decision-making journey.
Born in 1995 through a surrogate, Airyn De Niro has a fraternal twin brother named Julian. She is out as gay since high school and started her hormone therapy last year. Trans women started to articulate their experiences on social media platforms. Their warmth and candor were the reasons that I decided to begin hormone therapy.
Airyn De Niro shared that she felt very alone growing up, like she was trying to compete with what the world expected women to be. She recounted, “I never had a boyfriend at a young age… I was like, ‘Wow, these things signify I’m very unwanted. I’m not desirable.’” Reflecting on her childhood, she noted, “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.”
Even with these hurdles, Airyn De Niro has a deep feeling of connectedness to her parents as she goes through her transition. And the pride with which she has taken on this new identity is contagious. This pilgrimage has deepened her bond with her family and increased her love of her Blackness 100 fold. “I think a big part of [my transition] is the influence Black women have had on me,” she remarked. The support from both Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith has been unwavering, as Robert De Niro affirmed, “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter.”
Airyn De Niro credited her parents for trying to create a sense of normalcy in her upbringing. She expressed gratitude for their decision to keep her childhood private, stating, “Obviously no parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight.” She emphasized their desire for her to have a normal childhood, saying, “They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible.”
During her interview for the master class, Airyn De Niro explained the difference between being visible and being seen. “There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” she explained. She is passionate about using her story to inspire others to heal from childhood struggles with insecurity and acceptance.
“I wish people saw someone who is trying their hardest to heal from growing up not feeling good about themselves.” – Airyn De Niro
