One of Robert De Niro's twins has come out as trans.

Airyn De Niro - whose mother is actress Toukie Smith - has opened up about "stepping into this new identity" as a trans woman and her desire to be "seen" as who she really is.

She told Them: "There's a difference between being visible and being seen. I've been visible. I don't think I've been seen yet."

In the wake of recent news articles about her, the 29-year-old aspiring actress added: "Not only did they get information wrong about me…They just sort of reminded me that people really don't know anything about me."

Airyn struggled to feel accepted by the queer community when she came out as a gay man in high school.

She said: "[Gay men were] ruthless and mean. I didn't even fit that beauty standard, which is thin, white, muscular, or just super fit, masculine.

"I was always told I was too much of something or not enough of something growing up: 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."

She began hormone therapy to start her transition last November and admitted it helped her to see other trans women being successful in the public eye.

She said: "Trans women being honest and open, especially [in] public spaces like social media and getting to see them in their success… I'm like, you know what? Maybe it's not too late for me.

"Maybe I can start...

"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."

And Airyn hopes she can be an "inspiration" to others as she works to achieve her dreams in the worlds of acting and modelling.

She said: "I'd want to hopefully be an inspiration for at least one other person like me who is Black, who is queer, who's not a size extra small.

"I'd want to see more trans women, more Black women who are maybe bigger-bodied or don't fit the mold of super thin or heroin chic."

"I want queer people of color and bigger-bodied people to have an Alex Consani. I want queer people of color and bigger-bodied people to have a Hunter Schafer.

"A part of me has always wanted to model and sort of follow my mom's footsteps. Honestly, if I could be on the cover of Vogue with her or recreating one of her pictures, that would be a dream come true."