Liev Schreiber has plenty of pride for his daughter Kai, who he said came out as transgender with a simple request.
“The most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns,” the “Ray Donovan” star told Variety in an interview published Thursday.
The Emmy-nominated actor, 57, spoke about his support for his daughter ahead of their joint attendance at Friday’s spring gala for the Ali Forney Center, which works to support and provide shelter to homeless LGBTQ+ youth. He shares 16-year-old Kai and 17-year-old son Sasha with “Mulholland Drive” star Naomi Watts.
Schreiber, who said “Kai was always who Kai is,” recalled that his daughter coming out as trans “didn’t feel like that big of a deal to me” because she “had been so feminine for so long.” He praised her as “such a fighter” but did not specify when his daughter came out.
Kai is a model, who recently made her professional debut in Valentino’s Fall Winter ’25 campaign, according to her IMG Models profile. Though Schreiber said Kai’s coming out was relatively understated, he told the trade outlet, “It’s important that she goes, ‘Hey, I am trans,’ and ‘Look at me.’”
Schreiber is the latest in a handful of celebrity dads — including former NBA star Dwyane Wade, and actors Marlon Wayans and Robert De Niro — who have publicly voiced support for their trans children. Last week, “Raging Bull” star De Niro said he “loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter,” after she went public with her transition in an April interview with Them.
“I don’t know what the big deal is,” added De Niro, who shares Airyn with actor Toukie Smith. “I love all my children.”
While some celebrities have detailed their experiences raising trans kids and offered advice to other parents, Schreiber steered clear from doing the same. “I don’t know the answer for your kid,” he told Variety, citing various factors including a parent’s upbringing or a family’s spirituality or religion. He did offer a kernel of wisdom for parents to consider: “Teenagers are a headache. They’re hard.
Naomi Watts, right, with daughter Kai Schreiber at the March 2025 premiere of “The Friend” in New York.
(Evan Agostini / Invision / Associated Press)
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re trans or not because you’ll come out of this,” he said. “But a trans teen is going to be a teen. They’re such a pain so much of the time, and Kai is as feisty and outspoken as they come.”
Schreiber and Watts were romantically linked from 2005 to 2016. Over the years, the exes have separately brought their children to movie premieres and hyped them up on social media.
“Ladies and gentlemen the one, the only, the indomitable @kaischreiberr,” Liev Schreiber captioned an Instagram post of his daughter during her runway debut in March.
