​Robert De Niro’s Son Comes Out as Trans Woman — Here’s Who Inspired His Transition​

New York, NY – Airyn De Niro, one of Robert De Niro’s seven children, has come out as a trans woman in a candid April 29, 2025, interview with Them, revealing that her transition—beginning with hormone therapy in November 2024—was inspired by Black trans icons Laverne Cox and Raven-Symoné, per today.com []. The announcement, has conservatives on X, like @MAGAForce2024, reacting with skepticism: “Another Hollywood kid chasing trends—wonder how long this will last!”

Airyn, 32, the daughter of Robert De Niro and actress Toukie Smith, shared, “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,” emphasizing her desire to represent bigger-bodied trans women, per people.com []. She began hormone therapy to “maintain her femininity” as she aged, drawing inspiration from Cox, known for Orange Is the New Black, and Symoné, star of That’s So Raven, per today.com []. Airyn also addressed the “nepo baby” label, saying, “My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path,” per tmz.com [].
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De Niro’s daughter pic.twitter.com/nRQU3KJavH

— CAIN66X92 (@XTechPulse) April 30, 2025

Conservatives on X see this as part of a broader Hollywood trend. @PatriotPulse wrote, “De Niro’s son now identifies as a woman—shocking exactly no one in woke Hollywood!” @America1stMAGA added, “Inspired by Laverne Cox? More like inspired by the latest fad!” Airyn’s twin brother, Julian, has not commented, per people.com [], while Robert De Niro, 81, recently welcomed his seventh child with girlfriend Tiffany Chen, per en.wikipedia.org []. Airyn expressed concern about her family’s acceptance, noting, “I think part of me is concerned that they will maybe still think of me as the person I was before,” per today.com [].

The announcement comes amid heightened scrutiny of trans visibility, with 69% of Americans in a 2024 Gallup poll expressing mixed views on trans rights, per Gallup []. For conservatives, Airyn’s coming out—while deeply personal—fits into what they see as a predictable pattern in liberal elite circles, with @JusticeForAll22 stating, “Hollywood’s obsession with identity politics strikes again—Airyn’s just the latest!” As Airyn steps into her truth, her story highlights both her personal journey and the cultural divide surrounding trans identities in 2025.