Liev Schreiber opens up about raising a trans child with ex Naomi Watts

Liev Schreiber has opened up about how he and ex-wife Naomi Watts reacted to their child Kai coming out as transgender.

Liev Schreiber is proud of his “fighter” daughter Kai and how she’s embracing her identity.

“Kai was always who Kai is,” the US actor, 57, told Variety this week ahead of a gala hosted by the Ali Forney Center, which provides housing and support for homeless LGBTQIA+ youth.

“But I suppose the most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns,” Schreiber recalled, noting that it “didn’t feel like that big of a deal because Kai had been feminine for so long.”

Kai, 16 — whose mother is Naomi Watts — made her runway debut in March at Paris Fashion Week, modelling for Valentino.

Kai Schreiber and mum Naomi Watts in New York in March. Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty

Schreiber is beyond proud of his daughter. Picture: Images Getty

“Beyond beyond Kai,” her proud dad gushed beneath her Instagram post of the momentous occasion, later blasting “haters” for claiming nepotism got her the gig.

According to Schreiber, his daughter is embracing her identity like never before.

“Kai is such a fighter,” he told Variety. “It’s important that she goes, ‘Hey, I am trans’ and ‘Look at me’ and ‘F**k you. F**k off.’”

Asked his advice for parents whose children are trans, the actor chose his words carefully.

“I don’t know the answer for your kid,” he confessed. “I don’t know what it’s like for you to be a trans dad. I don’t know how you were brought up. I don’t know what religion you encountered or what your spirituality is. And for me to tell you what I think about my kid feels like an overstep.”

Schreiber laughed as he shifted his focus to Kai’s age.

Kai making her runway debut at Paris Fashion Week.

“Kai had been feminine for so long,” says her dad.

“I guess if I would say anything to someone who’s having trouble with their trans teen or their adolescent trans kid, it’s, ‘Teenagers are a f**king headache. They’re hard. It doesn’t matter whether they’re trans or not because you’ll come out of this,’” he explained.

“But a trans teen is going to be a teen. They’re such a pain in the ass so much of the time, and Kai is as feisty and outspoken as they come.”

When it comes to the various political and social attacks on the trans community, the star chooses to remain hopeful.

“I don’t like to dwell on it too much,” he shared. “To some degree, I feel like I don’t want to overcook that fear or that anxiety. There’s enough in the world to be anxious and afraid about.”

Still, he acknowledges the importance of visibility and support for trans youth who may not have adequate resources or loved ones in their corner.

Schreiber and ex-wife Watts have two children together. Picture: Instagram

Regarding Friday’s A Place at the Table Gala, he made sure to stress, “This isn’t just about representing the trans community. This is actually a community of people who don’t have great resources, who don’t have access to help, who aren’t being protected and looked after by their families.

“These are people who are being rejected. These are people who are experiencing the harshest version of humanity that we can offer, and some of them are not surviving it.”

He added, “We got to bear that in mind when we go out there and glam ourselves up and get ready to be seen, you know? That what we’re doing is actually raising money for a community that desperately needs it.”

This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission

Originally published as Liev Schreiber opens up about raising a trans child with ex Naomi Watts