Most articles about “Aaron Kendrick De Niro” were written before April 29, 2025.
That matters. Because on April 29, 2025, Robert De Niro’s child who had been known publicly as Aaron Kendrick De Niro gave an interview to Them Magazine — the LGBTQ+ publication owned by Condé Nast — and publicly came out as a transgender woman. She had chosen the name Airyn. She had begun hormone therapy in November 2024. She wanted the world to know her, finally, as herself.
Robert De Niro issued a statement the same day: “I loved and supported Aaron as my son and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
Any article written before that date describes a person who no longer publicly identifies in the way those articles assumed. This article covers the full story — including April 2025.
Bio at a Glance
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Birth Name | Aaron Kendrick De Niro |
| Current Name | Airyn De Niro |
| Pronouns | She/her |
| Date of Birth | October 20, 1995 |
| Age in 2026 | 30 years old |
| Birthplace | New York City, New York |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Father | Robert De Niro (actor, director, producer) |
| Mother | Toukie Smith (actress, model — known for NBC’s 227) |
| Conception | IVF |
| Birth method | Surrogacy |
| Twin | Julian Henry De Niro — actor (Broadway, The First Lady, Zero Day) |
| Half-siblings | Drena De Niro, Raphael De Niro, Elliot De Niro, Helen Grace De Niro, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro |
| High school | Local private high school, New York (graduated 2013) |
| Coming out as gay | High school — identified as a gay boy at the time |
| Coming out as trans | April 29, 2025 — interview with Them Magazine |
| Hormone therapy start | November 2024 |
| Career | Actress, voice artist, model, studying to be mental health counselor |
| Voice credit | The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) — credited as Aaron Smith De Niro |
| Robert De Niro’s statement | “I loved and supported Aaron as my son and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter.” |
| Net worth (est.) | $1–$1.5 million (speculative — not confirmed) |
| Social media | Instagram (active) |
A Note on This Article
Airyn De Niro came out publicly in April 2025. She gave a full interview on her own terms, to a publication she chose, explaining her journey in her own words. This article uses her current name and her pronouns — she/her — throughout.
Multiple older biography articles about “Aaron Kendrick De Niro” continue to use the birth name and male pronouns because they predate the April 2025 announcement. Those articles are not updated. They describe a public identity that she herself has now publicly changed.
This article describes her as she publicly describes herself.
The Family She Was Born Into
Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith dated from approximately 1988 to 1996. Their relationship was high-profile — both were prominent public figures. Smith is the sister of the late fashion designer Willi Donnell Smith, one of the first major Black American fashion designers, who died in 1987. She was known for her role as Eva Rawley on NBC’s 227 from 1989 to 1990 and had appeared on numerous magazine covers.
Their twin children were born through IVF and surrogacy — a combination that was unusual and relatively uncommon public knowledge at the time. The family confirmed the birth through Robert’s spokesman Stan Rosenfield, with the New York Times reporting that the children were “conceived with the assistance of modern fertility techniques and were carried to term and delivered by a surrogate.”
Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith separated in 1996 — one year after the twins were born. They maintained joint custody. A representative for Smith confirmed they retained “a very strong bond” after the separation.
Robert De Niro has seven children in total. The full list, in birth order: Drena De Niro (born September 3, 1967 — adopted from first wife Diahnne Abbott), Raphael De Niro (born 1976, with Diahnne Abbott), Airyn De Niro (born October 20, 1995, with Toukie Smith), Julian Henry De Niro (born October 20, 1995, with Toukie Smith), Elliot De Niro (born March 18, 1998, with Grace Hightower), Helen Grace De Niro (born December 28, 2011, with Grace Hightower), and Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro (born April 2023, with Tiffany Chen).
Growing Up: Private by Design
Airyn has spoken directly about her childhood and her parents’ approach to it. In her April 2025 Them interview she said: “Obviously, no parent is perfect, but I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight. They wanted it very private. They have told me they wanted me to have as much of a normal childhood as possible.”
She grew up in New York City. She attended a private high school and graduated in 2013. Her specific school has not been publicly named. Her college or university education — if any — has not been confirmed in any source.
She described herself as having always been a “bigger-bodied person” in a family of “thin or fit” members and often feeling like she “stood out like a sore thumb.” She described growing up being told she 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.'”
This description places her experience squarely at an intersection — mixed-race, larger-bodied, gender nonconforming — that was consistently outside the normalized categories she encountered in her environment.
The Twin: Julian Henry De Niro
Julian Henry De Niro is Airyn’s twin — born the same day, October 20, 1995, through the same IVF and surrogacy process.
Julian pursued acting and has built a documented professional career. His credits include:
- In Dubious Battle (2016) — James Franco’s history drama alongside Robert Duvall, Ed Harris, and Bryan Cranston. He played Billy.
- The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window — a Tony-nominated Broadway production
- The First Lady (2022, Showtime) — he played a young Barack Obama
- Zero Day (2025, Netflix) — the limited series starring Robert De Niro as a former president investigating a cyberattack
Julian has the acting career. The public footprint. The social media presence. The industry credentials.
Airyn, by contrast, maintained a quieter professional profile — a voice credit in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020), credited as Aaron Smith De Niro using her mother’s surname — until April 2025, when she stepped into public view on her own terms.
The SpongeBob Credit: The Most Documented Pre-Transition Work
Before April 2025, the most specific confirmed professional credit for Airyn was the voice acting role in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020). She played a security guard — a small, uncredited-in-marketing role. The credit on the film uses the name “Aaron Smith De Niro” — combining her birth first name with her mother’s Smith surname.
This credit confirms she was doing entertainment work — however minor — during the period when most biography sites were describing her as having completely avoided the industry.
TVovermind, which identified this credit specifically, noted: “He lent his voice to the animated movie, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run in 2020. In the movie, he voiced the small role of a Security Guard.”
This was written using male pronouns, before her transition was public. The credit itself is real and documented regardless of how it is described.
Coming Out: April 29, 2025
The Daily Mail published a story in early April 2025 with the headline: “Robert De Niro’s nepo baby son shows off shock transformation with heels and pink hair in rare sighting.” The article covered her meeting her father at a hotel. It used male pronouns and her birth name. It referred to her as a “nepo baby son.”
Airyn told Them: “Not only did they get information wrong about me… They just sort of reminded me that people really don’t know anything about me.”
The Daily Mail article accelerated her decision to speak for herself. On April 29, 2025, Them Magazine published her interview. She described coming out as a gay boy in high school. She described beginning hormone therapy in November 2024. She described the trans women who had inspired her — Laverne Cox, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, Jools Lebron. She said she wanted to be an inspiration for others like her — Black, queer, not a size extra small.
“I’ve been visible. I don’t think I’ve been seen yet,” she said.
Robert De Niro’s statement followed the next day. Toukie Smith’s representative confirmed “a very strong bond” between the two.
Laverne Cox responded publicly on Instagram: “I just read that I’m one of the women who’ve inspired you over the years and I’m deeply, deeply honored… I want to congratulate you on embracing the beauty that you are.”
Robert De Niro has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights for years. He received the 2016 GLAAD Excellence in Media Award. His own father — Robert De Niro Sr., a painter — openly identified as gay. His public support for Airyn is consistent with his documented history on these issues, not a surprise statement made under pressure.
What She Said About Her Future
In the Them interview, Airyn described her professional goals. She is studying to become a mental health counselor with a specific focus on communities of color and queer people. She said: “People of color and queer people definitely need more mental health advocacy and support. So I’m hoping I’m able to do that.”
She is also continuing work in acting and modeling. She described wanting to be visible representation — a trans woman who is Black and bigger-bodied, in a media landscape that rarely centers that specific intersection.
Her Instagram is active. She posts publicly as Airyn De Niro.
Robert De Niro’s Seven Children: Context for Where Airyn Sits
Robert De Niro has become one of Hollywood’s most discussed figures in terms of fatherhood — not because of any single dramatic event but because of the sheer span of his family. His oldest child Drena was born in 1967. His youngest, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, was born in April 2023. He was 79 when Gia was born.
His children span 56 years. They include an adopted daughter, a real estate broker, two actors, a musician, a child born in 2011, a child born in 2023, and now a publicly out trans woman.
In his own words to People in 2020: “For my kids, I tell them, ‘If you want to be an actor or you want to do this or that, that’s fine as long as you’re happy. Just don’t sell yourself short.'”
That statement was made before Airyn came out. It reads, in retrospect, as advice that she eventually took — not in the entertainment industry sense, but in the personal sense.
What the Internet Gets Wrong About Aaron Kendrick / Airyn De Niro
“Aaron Kendrick De Niro is a private person who has avoided the spotlight” — true as of 2024 and before. In April 2025 she gave a substantial public interview, is active on Instagram as Airyn De Niro, and is publicly building a career and advocacy presence. The “invisible private person” framing is outdated.
“He is the twin brother of Julian De Niro” — she is Julian’s twin. The pronoun and name change are documented public facts from April 2025.
“He has never been involved in entertainment” — she has a voice acting credit from 2020 in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, credited as Aaron Smith De Niro. Multiple sources overlooked this.
“His net worth is $1.5 million” — this is speculative. No documented income source confirms a specific figure. It is an estimate.
“His father tried to help him get acting roles but Aaron was disinterested” — this appears in one source without any quoted confirmation. It is presented as fact without documented sourcing.
“There is no public information confirming any career” — there is a voice acting film credit from 2020. That is a documented career entry.
Where She Stands in 2026
Airyn De Niro is 30 years old. She publicly came out as a transgender woman in April 2025. She began hormone therapy in November 2024. She is studying to become a mental health counselor. She is active on Instagram as Airyn De Niro. She is pursuing acting, modeling, and advocacy work.
Her twin Julian continues his professional acting career — he appeared in Zero Day with their father in 2025.
Robert De Niro is 82 years old. He publicly supported Airyn’s coming out with a statement that received significant positive coverage. He continues acting and appeared on the Netflix series Zero Day in 2025.
Toukie Smith is 73. She lives privately in New York.
Final Words
The search term “Aaron Kendrick De Niro” describes someone who publicly identified as Airyn De Niro in April 2025. Anyone searching that name in 2026 deserves to know that — and to understand that most articles on the first page of search results were written before that announcement and have not been updated.
Airyn De Niro is Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith’s daughter. She is 30 years old. She grew up privately, worked in voice acting under a combined surname, came out as a trans woman in a self-chosen interview with a publication she trusted, received her father’s public support, and is now building a career and advocacy presence on her own terms.
That is the accurate, current, full story.
You may also like Kelley Phleger
FAQ: 12 Real Questions About Aaron Kendrick De Niro / Airyn De Niro
1. Who is Aaron Kendrick De Niro?
Aaron Kendrick De Niro is the name she was given at birth. In April 2025, she publicly came out as a transgender woman and now goes by Airyn De Niro. She is the daughter of actor Robert De Niro and actress-model Toukie Smith, born October 20, 1995, in New York City, alongside her twin Julian Henry De Niro. She is 30 years old as of 2026.
2. Did Aaron Kendrick De Niro come out as transgender?
Yes. On April 29, 2025, she gave an interview to Them Magazine, publicly coming out as a transgender woman and choosing the name Airyn De Niro. She confirmed she began hormone therapy in November 2024. Robert De Niro issued a statement the same day expressing full love and support.
3. What did Robert De Niro say when Airyn came out?
His exact statement: “I loved and supported Aaron as my son and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.” The statement was issued to E! News on April 30, 2025.
4. Who is Airyn De Niro’s twin?
Julian Henry De Niro — an actor who has built a professional career including roles in In Dubious Battle (2016), a Tony-nominated Broadway production of The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, playing a young Barack Obama in The First Lady (2022), and appearing alongside his father Robert De Niro in the Netflix limited series Zero Day (2025).
5. How were Airyn and Julian De Niro born?
Through IVF and surrogacy — their parents conceived them using in vitro fertilization, and a surrogate carried them to term. This was confirmed by Robert De Niro’s spokesperson in a statement to the New York Times at the time of their birth.
6. What does Airyn De Niro do professionally?
She is an actress, voice artist, model, and is studying to become a mental health counselor with a focus on communities of color and queer people. Her documented acting credit includes a voice role in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020), credited as Aaron Smith De Niro. She is active on Instagram as Airyn De Niro.
7. Who is Toukie Smith?
Airyn’s mother — an American actress and model born September 25, 1952, in Philadelphia. She is best known for playing Eva Rawley on NBC’s 227 from 1989 to 1990. She is the sister of the late fashion designer Willi Donnell Smith. She and Robert De Niro dated from approximately 1988 to 1996.
8. Why did Airyn De Niro decide to come out publicly in 2025?
In part because the Daily Mail published an article about her in April 2025 using incorrect information, male pronouns, and calling her a “nepo baby son.” She told Them: “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 chose to tell her own story rather than let inaccurate coverage define her public identity.
9. How many children does Robert De Niro have?
Seven: Drena De Niro (adopted, born 1967, with first wife Diahnne Abbott), Raphael De Niro (born 1976, with Diahnne Abbott), Airyn De Niro (born October 20, 1995, with Toukie Smith), Julian Henry De Niro (born October 20, 1995, with Toukie Smith), Elliot De Niro (born 1998, with Grace Hightower), Helen Grace De Niro (born 2011, with Grace Hightower), and Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro (born April 2023, with Tiffany Chen).
10. What trans women inspired Airyn De Niro?
She named Laverne Cox, Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, and Jools Lebron as women whose openness inspired her. Laverne Cox responded publicly to Airyn’s interview on Instagram, congratulating her and saying she was “deeply, deeply honored” to have been an inspiration.
11. What is Airyn De Niro’s net worth?
Not confirmed by any primary source. Estimates ranging from $1 million to $1.5 million appear in pre-transition biography articles based on speculative calculations. No documented income source confirms any specific figure.
12. What should readers know about articles describing “Aaron Kendrick De Niro”?
Most articles using that name were written before April 29, 2025, when she publicly came out as Airyn De Niro. Those articles use outdated names and pronouns, and describe a “private person” who has since given a major public interview, begun hormone therapy, launched a public Instagram, and is actively pursuing a career and advocacy platform. The accurate current name is Airyn De Niro and the correct pronouns are she/her.