When Airyn De Niro announced her transition at the end of April, she did it on her own terms, with beautiful pink locs and a conversation with Conde Nast’s magazine Them. She didn’t have the opportunity to do so publicly before that.
Airyn, at 30, is an “aspiring model and voice actor studying to be a mental health counselor,” Them shares. She actively chooses to keep a low profile–her parents are actors Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith–and they made a mindful choice to raise her “out of the limelight,” she says, which she also says she has been grateful for. They wished she could have “as much of a normal childhood as possible,” she said. And Airyn has sought to earn her way in the world on her own merits. But when a tabloid commented on her recent appearance and misgendered her, she wanted to take back her narrative. With the support of her parents, she says, everything has been much easier.
After the Them article came out, Airyn made a statement thanking everyone for their support, her parents included. She’s not quite so used to being in the public eye, she said, but wanted to express her gratitude just the same. “I also want to say thank you to my mom and dad for supporting me and accepting me, and always being there when I need them,” she said. “I could not have asked for better parents.”
Robert De Niro made a public statement supporting Airyn and her journey as well. “I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is,” De Niro told Variety. “I love all my children.”
As Airyn has said, this is par for the course. “With my dad, he’s like, ‘If you want to live your life as a woman, that’s fine.’ There’s no problem with it. He’s a very much [a] live and let live guy,” she told PinkNews.
The elder De Niro’s support didn’t end there, either–the actor also offered to go with his daughter to medical appointments when she was beginning to take hormones, and had some advice for his daughter as she moved forward: “He was just like, ‘Just make sure you watch over your health and you’re going to somebody who knows what they’re doing,’” Airyn told PinkNews, adding that the actor is “very big on the health and safety of his family.”
As much as something like this has become news, it’s also wild that it is. Parents are supposed to love their children unconditionally. Just the same, Robert De Niro and Toukie Smith have become among the many celebrity parents actively showing up for their trans and nonbinary children in the press as they live their truths, along with the likes of Cynthia Nixon, Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade, Charlize Theron, and Sting, Them shares. In doing so, they help set an example of what supportive parenting looks like.
It’s heartening to know that as Airyn traverses the world, she will have the support of the people closest to her, too. Which is how it should be.
Parents of young children get more time with them if they work from home.Photo credit: Canva
Juicy subject matter
Giphy from The Blacklist.
We could start a rumor.
Grieving couple comforting each other
This response to someone grieving a friend might be the best internet comment ever
When someone is hit with the sudden loss of a friend or loved one, words rarely feel like enough. Yet, more than a decade ago, a wise Redditor named GSnow shared thoughts so profound they still bring comfort to grieving hearts today.
Originally posted around 2011, the now-famous reply was rediscovered when Upvoted, an official Reddit publication, featured it again to remind everyone of its enduring truth. It began as a simple plea for help: “My friend just died. I don't know what to do.”
What followed was a piece of writing that many consider one of the internet’s best comments of all time. It remains shared across social media, grief forums, and personal messages to this day because its honesty and metaphor speak to the raw reality of loss and the slow, irregular path toward healing.
Below is GSnow’s full reply, unchanged, in all its gentle, wave-crashing beauty:
Why this advice still matters
Mental health professionals and grief counselors often describe bereavement in stages or phases, but GSnow’s “wave theory” gives an image more relatable for many. Rather than a linear process, grief surges and retreats—sometimes triggered by a song, a place, or a simple morning cup of coffee.
In recent years, this metaphor has found renewed relevance. Communities on Reddit, TikTok, and grief support groups frequently reshare it to help explain the unpredictable nature of mourning.
Many readers say this analogy helps them feel less alone, giving them permission to ride each wave of grief rather than fight it.
Finding comfort in shared wisdom
Since this comment first surfaced, countless people have posted their own stories underneath it, thanking GSnow and passing the words to others facing fresh heartbreak. It’s proof that sometimes, the internet can feel like a global support group—strangers linked by shared loss and hope.
For those searching for more support today, organizations like The Dougy Center, GriefShare, and local bereavement groups offer compassionate resources. If you or someone you know is struggling with intense grief, please reach out to mental health professionals who can help navigate these deep waters.
When grief comes crashing like the ocean, remember these words—and hang on. There is life between the waves.
This article originally appeared four years ago.