Robert De Niro’s daughter, Airyn De Niro, is expressing deep appreciation for her father’s constant support following her transition.
“The support has been nonstop from him, and I’m so grateful,” the 30-year-old told Them in a new interview, following up on her April feature with the publication.
Airyn shared that her father, 82, has been openly happy for her and her relationship. “He said, ‘You have someone who loves you for who you are, and you don’t need to change yourself for anybody,’” she recalled.
The pair even discussed her transition during a recent therapy session. “He said, ‘There’s nothing else to do but accept your kid for who they are and where they want to go in life,’” Airyn revealed. “He’s really good at being a dad — and not just that, but at accepting people from all walks of life.”
She went on to say that at his age, “He’s not even setting a high bar — that should just be the standard.”
Airyn, whose mother is actress Toukie Smith, has a twin brother, Julian. Robert De Niro, who shares seven children in total, welcomed his youngest daughter, Gia, with girlfriend Tiffany Chen in April 2023.
In a statement to PEOPLE earlier this year, De Niro expressed his unconditional love: “I loved and supported Airyn before her transition, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is — I love all my children.”
Airyn also spoke about rediscovering herself through her style, saying it feels “very healing” to explore new worlds and aesthetics “in a body you’ve always wanted to be in but weren’t before.”
She mentioned her love for singing, sharing that only a few people have ever heard her — her parents, her sister, and pop star Ariana Grande. After reconnecting with Grande during the filming of Focker-in-Law with De Niro and Ben Stiller, Airyn sent her a clip of her singing. “She was so kind about it,” Airyn said. “She really gave me a confidence boost.”
