Hollywood veteran actor Robert De Niro, 81, recently shared his unconditional love and support for his child, Erin, 29, who came out as a transgender person transitioning from male to female.
According to CNN on Jan. 1 (local time), De Niro stated in a statement delivered to major media that, "I have loved and supported Aaron as my son. Now I love and support Erin as my daughter." He added, "I don't see what the big deal is," emphasizing, "I love all of my children."
Born in 1995 to De Niro and actress Toukie Smith, Erin recently disclosed in an interview with the LGBTQ magazine "Them" that she has begun the process of transitioning to female.
At that time, she said, "I wasn't quite black or white enough, and I wasn't very feminine or masculine," adding, "I could never be just 'you are fine as you are.'" She continued, "Seeing trans women being honest and open, especially on social media, and succeeding made me think that it might not be too late for me too," explaining her decision to start hormone therapy at the end of last year.
According to CNN, since this news broke, messages of support for Erin have been pouring in on social media. In response, Erin expressed her gratitude on her Instagram, saying, "Thank you to everyone who has supported me warmly."