At 81 years old, Robert De Niro is navigating fatherhood across generations, from his eldest child, now 57, to his youngest daughter, Gia, who just turned two. And according to the Oscar-winning actor, his approach to parenting can be summed up in one simple rule: unconditional support.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, De Niro shared his parenting philosophy. “The main thing is to support your kids. As long as they’re not hurting themselves or doing anything destructive, you have to support them, period,” the actor said. “They have to know that you support them. Always.”
His words come just weeks after his 29-year-old daughter, Airyn, came out as transgender in an interview with Them magazine. Reflecting on her public debut, Airyn said presenting herself to the world in a new light “felt right.”
“I feel like I’m meant to be doing this,” she said, adding that she was thrown into the public eye unexpectedly after a media article outed her without her consent. The piece misgendered her and referred to her as a “nepo baby,” prompting Airyn to clarify that most people “really don’t know anything about me.”
For most of her life, Airyn had remained out of the spotlight, something she says she’s thankful for. “I am grateful that both my parents agreed to keep me out of the limelight,” she said. “They wanted me to have as normal a childhood as possible.”
Though she admitted to feeling nervous about how her family would respond to her transition, De Niro’s reaction was nothing but supportive.
“I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” he said. “I don’t know what the big deal is. I love all my children.”
De Niro also spoke tenderly about his youngest, Gia, whom he shares with girlfriend Tiffany Chen. “She’s just pure joy,” he said. “She’s two now, so as they get older and older then… you know? But it’s always wonderful. Pure joy, what can I say?”
De Niro and Chen reportedly met on the set of The Intern in 2015, where he starred alongside Anne Hathaway. Years later, in 2021, they were spotted vacationing together in France, confirming their romance. In 2023, the couple quietly welcomed Gia, De Niro’s seventh child.
For a man who’s been everything from a mob boss to a comedy legend onscreen, De Niro seems most grounded in his real-life role as a dad. And while his family spans decades in age and experience, his message to all of them is clear: love, support, and acceptance, always.
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