Airyn, the 29-year-old daughter of acclaimed Hollywood actors Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith, has publicly come out as a transgender woman. In a candid interview with Them on Tuesday, the aspiring model and mental health advocate reflected on her personal journey, family, and the challenges of being seen for who she truly is.
Airyn, who has a twin brother, Julian, is one of seven children of the Oscar-winning actor. While she’s long been known to some through her famous last name, she explained that being known isn’t the same as being understood. “There’s a difference between being visible and being seen,” she said. “I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet.”
Her comments followed a recent public appearance that sparked media attention — some of which, she said, misrepresented her. “They just sort of reminded me that people really don’t know anything about me,” she shared.
A major point in the interview was the perception that her father’s fame has shaped her opportunities — a label she’s often given as a “nepo baby.” Airyn pushed back on that notion, insisting she wasn’t raised in the Hollywood spotlight. “I wasn’t brought up having a side part in one of dad’s movies or going to business meetings or attending premieres,” she said. “My dad was very big on us finding our own sort of path… I would want [success] to happen on my own merit.”
Despite her parents’ fame, Airyn said her upbringing was deliberately kept grounded. “Obviously, no parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight,” she said. “They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible.”
Opening up about her struggles with body image and identity, Airyn described the conflicting expectations she faced growing up. “I was always told I was too much of something or not enough of something… 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 revealed that she began hormone therapy in November 2024, a decision that was partly inspired by her mother and other Black women. “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 or heroin chic.”
Beyond modeling and entertainment, Airyn is also studying to become a mental health counselor — a path she hopes will allow her to support underserved communities. “People of colour and queer people definitely need more mental health advocacy and support,” she said. “So I’m hoping I’m able to do that.”
