Kai Schreiber, the daughter of Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber, received an enthusiastic standing ovation as she accepted Breakthrough Model of the Year at The Daily Front Row’s Fashion Media Awards on Friday.
The 17-year-old model drew the loudest reaction of her speech when she revealed she was the first transgender girl to receive the honor.
Speaking in footage filmed by the Daily Mail at the Rainbow Room in Rockefeller Center, New York City, the emerging fashion star said the recognition felt surreal so early in her modeling career.
The Daily Mail has contacted Schreiber’s representatives for comment.
With Watts, 57, by her side at the ceremony, Schreiber reflected on being warmly embraced by the fashion world. She said she felt fortunate to be welcomed into such a “beautiful world” and was thrilled to continue learning while pursuing modeling as her profession.
“I’m also the first transgender girl to win this award,” she said, prompting cheers and sustained applause from the audience.
Naomi Watts’s daughter Kai Schreiber was met with roaring applause while accepting the Breakthrough Model of the Year prize at The Daily Front Row’s Fashion Media Awards on Friday.
The 17-year-old, whose parents are Naomi Watts and her former partner Liev Schreiber, earned the evening’s biggest applause when she said she was the first transgender girl to win the award.
Schreiber said the milestone was “surreal” and credited the transgender women who came before her and helped create opportunities within the fashion industry.
“I carry that with me into every room,” she added.
Watts’s daughter concluded her brief speech by saying, ‘To say the least, I’ve found my fashion family, and I couldn’t be more happy.’
Earlier in her speech, Schreiber included sweet words of thanks for her family ‘for their unconditional support and devotion to making me happy and making my dreams come true.
‘I’m so lucky to be supported by you,’ she added on an emotional note.
The modeling star was unmissable in a lime-green mini dress with voluminous long sleeves and tonal polka dots, as well as sheer stockings decorated with floral designs.
She completed the look with towering white heels decorated with gold studs and an opulent diamond necklace, and she wore her blond hair pulled back in a tight bun.
Schreiber thanked the team at Valentino ‘for not only designing this outfit, but for being the ones that introduced me to this community and continued to believe in me.’
Schreiber marveled over how she had been ‘so graciously welcomed into this beautiful world of fashion,’ before revealing, ‘I’m also the first transgender girl to win this award’
The audience burst into applause at the line. Schreiber also thanked the team at Valentino for designing her dress and ‘for being the ones that introduced me to this community and continued to believe in me’
RELATED: Women Arrested After $1 Million Cannabis Smuggling Attempt Using Suitcases
The modeling star was unmissable in a lime-green mini dress with voluminous long sleeves and tonal polka dots, as well as sheer stockings decorated with floral designs
Watts showed her support for her daughter by joining her on the red carpet before the ceremony started. The Mulholland Drive star looked casual but cool in a pale brown pleated tunic that she wore with skinny jeans and aquamarine-colored suede heels
Schreiber posed with her award for Breakthrough Model of the Year
Watts showed her support for her daughter by joining her on the red carpet before the ceremony started.
The Mulholland Drive star looked casual but cool in a pale brown pleated tunic that she wore with skinny jeans and aquamarine-colored suede heels that complemented her daughter’s.
She accessorized with a small studded black handbag, while Schreiber favored a boxy black clutch.
Watts shares the model and her older brother, 19-year-old Sasha Schreiber, with her former partner, fellow actor Liev Schreiber, 58, with whom she was in a relationship from 2005 to 2016.
Schreiber, who married Taylor Neisen in 2023, spoke in May to Variety about his initial reaction after Kai came out as transgender.
‘Kai was always who Kai is. But I suppose the most profound moment was her asking us to change her pronouns,’ he said. ‘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.’
He added, ‘Kai is such a fighter. It’s important that she goes, “Hey, I am trans,” and, “Look at me,” and, “F*** you. F*** off.”‘
But the Ray Donovan actor – who previously disputed claims that his daughter is a ‘nepo baby’ – steered clear of giving advice to the parents of other transgender children, saying he feared he would ‘overstep’ by treating all situations similarly.
Watts shares the model and her older brother, 19-year-old Sasha Schreiber (L), with her former partner, fellow actor Liev Schreiber (center left), with whom she was in a relationship from 2005 to 2016
Following his split from Watts, Schreiber, 58, has maintained a positive co-parenting relationship with Watts for their two teens
Following his split from Watts, the two actors have maintained a positive co-parenting relationship for their two teens.
‘We’re doing things very differently,’ Watts said while speaking to Net-a-Porter in 2019. ‘I’m pretty proud of us, corny as that may sound.
‘We’ve made it our absolute priority to be good and kind to each other and we’re absolutely committed to that,’ she added.
Following her split from Schreiber, The Ring star began a relationship with The Morning Show and Almost Famous actor Billy Crudup, with whom she tied the knot in 2023.