Kai Schreiber walked a Valentino runway at 16 months after her mother introduced her as “my daughter” on a red carpet. This profile traces her path from a voice role in a Disney blockbuster to fashion week runways, and examines what her family has confirmed about her identity along the way.
Birth name: Samuel Kai Schreiber ·
Born: December 13, 2008 ·
Nationality: British-American ·
Known for: Modeling, acting debut in The Jungle Book (2016) ·
Parents: Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber ·
Pronouns: She/her (as of public statements)
Quick snapshot
- Kai Schreiber is the biological child of Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber (People)
- Birth name was Samuel Kai Schreiber (People)
- Kai uses she/her pronouns (People)
- Signed with IMG Models (Vanity Fair)
- Whether Kai has legally changed her name
- Exact date of coming out or transition
- Kai’s full educational background
- 2008: Born as Samuel Kai Schreiber (People)
- 2023–2025: Public transition; parents confirm she/her pronouns (People)
- 2025: Runway debut at Valentino (Vanity Fair)
- Continued runway work with top fashion houses
- Potential expansion into acting given early Disney role
- Growing public profile as a model and trans visibility figure
Six biographical details — one pattern: Kai Schreiber’s identity is defined by a family that has been unusually transparent about supporting her gender journey, while letting her professional work step into the spotlight first.
Is Kai Naomi Watts son or daughter?
Kai Schreiber’s relationship to Naomi Watts
Kai is the biological child of actors Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber, born on December 13, 2008, as reported by People. Watts and Schreiber were in a long-term relationship from 2005 until their separation in 2016. Kai has an older brother, Sasha Schreiber, born in 2007.
- Naomi Watts introduced Kai as her daughter for the first time at a red carpet premiere in March 2025 (InStyle).
- Kai is the younger of Watts and Schreiber’s two children (People).
Gender identity context
Kai is transgender, as reported by multiple outlets including Vanity Fair. Her father, Liev Schreiber, publicly recalled the moment Kai asked him to change her pronouns in a 2025 interview (People).
“It was not a big deal,” Liev Schreiber said of the pronoun change, according to People. “She had been that way for a long time.”
— Liev Schreiber, via People
Kai Schreiber is both a celebrity child and a young woman whose identity her parents have publicly supported — a combination that has made her transition a rare story of family solidarity in the tabloid ecosystem.
What was Kai Schreiber’s birth name?
Samuel Kai Schreiber
Kai’s birth name was Samuel Kai Schreiber, according to People. She now uses only Kai Schreiber in all public contexts, including her professional modeling portfolio.
- The name “Samuel Kai” was listed in her early public records and in her parents’ early media appearances discussing their children (People).
- No official legal name change has been publicly documented as of 2025.
Reason for name change
The name change from Samuel to Kai reflects her gender transition, as reported by Vanity Fair. Her parents have not separately addressed the legal or personal timeline of her name selection.
What pronouns does Kai Schreiber use?
She/her pronouns publicly confirmed
Kai uses she/her pronouns, confirmed directly by both of her parents in interviews. People reported that Schreiber recalled the conversation where Kai asked him to begin using she/her pronouns.
- Naomi Watts publicly introduced Kai as her “daughter” at the The Friend premiere in March 2025 (InStyle).
- Coverage from Vanity Fair consistently uses she/her pronouns in references to Kai.
Family support
Liev Schreiber described the pronoun change as a natural extension of who Kai already was, telling People that she “had been that way for a long time.” Naomi Watts has supported Kai publicly by attending her fashion week shows and sharing red-carpet appearances with her (Us Weekly).
What is Kai Schreiber famous for?
Modeling career
Kai signed with IMG Models — the same agency that represents major names like Gigi Hadid and Karlie Kloss. Her runway debut came in March 2025 at Valentino’s Fall/Winter 2025 show during Paris Fashion Week (Vanity Fair).
- Kai walked in shows across New York, Milan, and Paris during 2025 Fashion Month (People).
- She walked for Celine (Us Weekly), as well as Jason Wu, Fendi, and Moschino (Vanity Fair).
- Kai was cast in a Valentino campaign released in April 2025 (People).
Acting debut in The Jungle Book
Kai voiced a young wolf character in Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016), directed by Jon Favreau (People). The film grossed over $966 million worldwide and was a critical success.
Public figure as child of celebrities
Kai told Interview magazine that she wants to be a supermodel and had been practicing her walks in the kitchen for years before her runway debut (People). Her rapid rise through Fashion Month has been documented by fashion and entertainment media throughout 2025.
“I want to be a supermodel,” Kai told Interview magazine, per People’s coverage. “I’ve been practicing my walk in the kitchen for years.”
— Kai Schreiber, via People
Kai’s modeling career has given her a public platform distinct from her parents’ fame — she walked runways for four top fashion houses in a single season after signing with IMG, a pace that few debut models achieve.
Does Naomi Watts have any biological children?
Sasha and Kai are biological children of Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber
Yes — Naomi Watts has two biological children with former partner Liev Schreiber. Sasha Schreiber was born on July 25, 2007, and Kai was born on December 13, 2008 (People). Both children were publicly named from birth and have grown up in the public eye.
- Naomi Watts has no other biological children from her subsequent marriage to Billy Crudup.
- Kai and Sasha are Watts’ only children, and both are from her relationship with Liev Schreiber (People).
Timeline of Kai Schreiber’s public life
The pattern: everything accelerated in 2025, when Kai transitioned from a private teenager to a runway model with global fashion coverage.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Born as Samuel Kai Schreiber to Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber (People) |
| 2016 | Voice role in Disney’s The Jungle Book (People) |
| 2023–2025 | Public transition; Liev Schreiber recounts moment Kai asked him to use she/her pronouns (People) |
| 2025 | Modeling career launches; walks for Valentino, Celine, Jason Wu, Fendi, Moschino; signs with IMG Models (Vanity Fair) |
The implication: Kai Schreiber went from a voice actor in a Disney film at age 7 to a global runway model signed with IMG Models by age 16 — all while her gender transition played out in public view with family support.
Confirmed facts and what remains unclear
Based on verified media reports and parent interviews, the following are confirmed about Kai Schreiber’s identity, family, and career.
- Confirmed: Kai Schreiber is the biological child of Naomi Watts and Liev Schreiber (People).
- Confirmed: Kai’s birth name was Samuel Kai Schreiber (People).
- Confirmed: Kai uses she/her pronouns (People).
- Confirmed: Kai signed with IMG Models (Vanity Fair).
- Confirmed: Kai voiced a role in The Jungle Book (2016) (People).
- Unclear: Whether Kai has legally changed her name.
- Unclear: The exact date of her coming out or transition timeline.
- Unclear: Kai’s full educational background.
The public record on Kai Schreiber is almost entirely parent-sourced. No statement from Kai herself has directly addressed her gender in a published interview — her voice comes through fashion statements, not personal declarations. That makes the coverage driven by what her parents choose to share.
youtube.com, people.com, eonline.com, people.com, scmp.com, hellomagazine.com, who.com.au
Frequently asked questions
Is Kai Schreiber transgender?
Yes. Multiple outlets including Vanity Fair have reported that Kai is transgender. Her father, Liev Schreiber, publicly recalled the moment Kai asked him to use she/her pronouns in a 2025 interview (People).
What is Kai Schreiber’s nationality?
Kai Schreiber is British-American. She was born in the United Kingdom to British-born Naomi Watts and American-born Liev Schreiber, holding dual citizenship (People).
Who are Kai Schreiber’s parents?
Kai’s parents are actress Naomi Watts and actor Liev Schreiber. Watts is known for Mulholland Drive, The Ring, and King Kong. Schreiber is known for Ray Donovan, Spotlight, and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (People).
Does Kai Schreiber have siblings?
Yes. Kai has one older brother, Sasha Schreiber, born in 2007 (People).
What movies has Kai Schreiber been in?
Kai voiced a young wolf character in Disney’s The Jungle Book (2016), directed by Jon Favreau (People). She has not been credited in any other film roles.
Is Kai Schreiber on Instagram?
Yes, Kai Schreiber has an active Instagram account with approximately 38,000 followers as of 2025. Her account features modeling content, fashion week coverage, and personal posts.
What modeling agency represents Kai Schreiber?
Kai Schreiber is represented by IMG Models, one of the world’s leading modeling agencies (Vanity Fair).
Related reading
- Brooks Nader: Biography, Fame, Family, and Relationships
- Candice Swanepoel: Career, Personal Life, and Net Worth
For readers following the intersection of fashion, celebrity families, and trans visibility, Kai Schreiber’s trajectory is unfolding in real time — with IMG shows, Valentino campaigns, and a family that has chosen public support over silence. The question isn’t whether she’ll keep walking runways; it’s how many she’ll own by 2026.
James Mitchell is Editor-in-Chief at Australian Insight, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.