Liev Schreiber is loud and proud of his love for his 16-year-old daughter, Kai.
Months after insisting the teenager wasn’t a nepo baby, the X-Men alum spoke about his daughter’s transition and how Kai is making her space in the transgender community.
“Kai is such a fighter,” he said. “It’s important that she goes, ‘Hey, I am trans,’ and, ‘Look at me.’”
Highlights
- Liev Schreiber opened up about his daughter for the first time since she proudly came out as transgender.
- The actor shares daughter Kai, 16, and son Sasha, 17, with ex-partner
- He laughed and said teenagers are “hard” and can even be a “headache.”
- His comments about Kai's transgender identity came months after he addressed “nepo baby” claims about her.
Liev Schreiber opened up about his daughter for the first time since she proudly came out as transgender
Image credits: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
The Ray Donovan star revealed that Kai's identity didn’t feel like “that big of a deal” because she’s “been feminine for so long.”
“Kai was always who Kai is,” he told Variety in a recent interview.
He nevertheless called it a “profound” moment when Kai wanted to change her pronouns.
The actor shares Kai, 16, with his ex-partner, the actress Naomi Watts
Image credits: kaischreiberrr
“I suppose the most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns,” he continued. “To be honest with you, it didn’t feel like that big of a deal to me only because Kai had been so feminine for so long.”
When asked what advice he would give to parents of transgender children, he said, “I don’t know the answer for your kid.”
Image credits: naomiwatts
“I don’t know what it’s like for you to be a trans dad. I don’t know how you were brought up,” he continued. “I don’t know what religion you encountered or what your spirituality is.”
He laughed and said teenagers are “hard” and can even be a “headache.”
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re trans or not because you’ll come out of this. But a trans teen is going to be a teen,” the actor added.
“They’re such a pain so much of the time, and Kai is as feisty and outspoken as they come,” he continued.
Liev admitted it can be “hard” and even be a “headache” to parent teenagers
Image credits: lievschreiber
Liev noted that it’s important for Kai to embrace her transgender identity and be vocal about it.
“Kai is such a fighter,” he told the outlet. “It’s important that she goes, ‘Hey, I am trans,’ and, ‘Look at me.’”
“Kai is as feisty and outspoken as they come,” said the proud father
Image credits: lievschreiber
The teenager will join her famous father-of-three and his wife, Taylor Niesen, at the Ali Forney Center’s A Place at the Table Gala in New York City on May 9.
The annual spring gala is the center’s premier fundraising event, aiding its mission of housing and supporting homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
Liev shares Kai with his ex-partner, actress Naomi Watts, whom he dated from 2005 until their 2016 split.
The former couple is also parents to son Sasha, 17.
Image credits: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
The father-of-three welcomed his youngest child, Hazel Bee, with his wife Taylor in 2023.
Kai made her runway debut for Valentino at Paris Fashion Week in March this year.
With her blonde hair pulled back into a bun, the newcomer walked down the runway in a long-sleeved leopard-print mini dress with a feathered collar.
Kai made her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week this year
Image credits: lievschreiber
The teenager was also pictured on the red carpet with her mother, Naomi, at the premiere of The Friend in New York, the same month.
The internet had mixed reactions to the rising star’s runway debut, with many calling it nepotism.
“Can’t these unattractive, spoilt girls get a real job?” one critic asked.
“Only cuz mummy & daddy are already rich & famous,” another said. “No need for your own merits here…”
Netizens branded her a “nepo baby” following her runway debut
Image credits: lievschreiber
Liev said he doesn’t have any “thoughts for the haters.” But he proudly defended his daughter and addressed the “nepo baby” claims.
“I'm gonna put it to you like this: What if you were a professional actor and your child decided they wanted to do something in this world. Do they have the choice of what you did?” he told TMZ in March.
Liev proudly defended his daughter and believes she did “an amazing job on the show”
Image credits: lievschreiber
“It doesn't matter, like, that's her life. She does what she wants with her life,” he added.
He also said he was “super proud” of his daughter on the runway.
“I thought she did an amazing job on the show,” he said.
The internet said Liev deserves the “Father of the year award” for his “unconditional love”
