Was Robert De Niro married to Toukie Smith? Relationship explored as daughter Airyn De Niro comes out as transgender

Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith’s daughter Airyn recently announced her trans identity through a cover story with Them.

The 29-year-old opened up about her career, life away from the limelight, transition, and more while speaking to the LGBTQ+ magazine. Airyn De Niro also highlighted the influence of black women on her new identity. She also told the outlet how she wants to be like her mother, Toukie Smith,

“Whenever I’m at a family gathering on my dad’s [De Niro] side, people would always talk about how much they love my mom [Smith] and how memorable she was and how happy my dad was when he was with her. I want to be like that… I want to be remembered the way that people remember her.”

Toukie Smith started dating Robert De Niro around 1988. At the time, the Oscar-winner had divorced his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, with whom he shared a son, Raphael. Toukie Smith never married The Godfather Part II star, while they dated for almost a decade (eight to be precise).

Robert De Niro and the 227 actress had twins – Julian and Airyn – in 1995 via surrogacy. According to the New Yorker, Toukie Smith briefly broke up with the Heat star in 1994. They eventually parted ways two years later. Toukie Smith didn’t marry anyone, while Robert De Niro tied the knot with his now-estranged wife, Grace Hightower.

While they were still dating, neither the Joe's Apartment actress nor the Raging Bull star revealed much about their relationship. In a 1990 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Smith wittingly remarked, while avoiding spilling any beans,

“What’s great about a private life is it’s private.”

Toukie Smith and Robert De Niro’s daughter, Airyn, was snapped last month

In March, the Meet the Parents actor’s 29-year-old child was papped at New York City’s Greenwich Hotel. At the time, Airyn De Niro had not come out publicly as trans, but multiple outlets ran a story around her new look. In her recent conversation with Them, Airyn reacted to the stories and said,

“I actually didn’t find out about the Daily Mail thing until like a week after it was posted. [...] Not only did they get information wrong about me… They just sort of reminded me that people really don’t know anything about me.”

In the cover story, Airyn also remarked on her racial identity while talking about the impact her mother, grandmother, and other black women had on her.

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“I think a big part of [my transition] is also the influence Black women have had on me. I think stepping into this new identity, while also being more proud of my Blackness, makes me feel closer to them in some way.”

Airyn De Niro reflected upon not identifying as a gay person, being a late bloomer, starting her transition journey, and more.

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