At 79, Robert De Niro Admitted He's 'Very Happy' With Newborn Daughter As He Gave Her Message On Live TV

Jun 05, 2023

Legendary actor Robert De Niro, 79, dropped a bombshell during an interview while promoting his film "About My Father" on May 8, 2023, in which he corrected the reporter when she referred to his six children and revealed he is actually a father of seven now!

De Niro was born on Aug. 17, 1943, in New York City, New York. He found a love for acting at a young age and especially appreciated it as it helped him overcome his shyness. As De Niro grew up, he took the art more seriously, studying acting at HB Studio, Stella Adler Conservatory and the Actors Studio. Soon enough, he started finding work in the industry.

Nowadays, the world knows De Niro as a renowned actor. He has won a litany of prestigious awards over his many years as a working actor. He has even earned the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former US President Barack Obama. Some of his best-recognized dramatic performances were in films such as "Taxi Driver," "The Deer Hunter," "Heat," "Casino," "Goodfellas" and "The Godfather II," for which he won a Best Supporting Actor award in 1974. 

He also won rave reviews for comedic turns in films like "Analyze This" and "Meet The Parents."

Aside from being a well-loved actor in the industry, De Niro is also a family man. Being a father of seven children is no easy feat. His oldest is Drena, 51, and Raphael, 46, from his first marriage to Diahnne Abbott. He also has his twin sons with Toukie Smith — 27-year-old brothers Aaron and Julian. His third marriage with Grace Hightower brought him 25-year-old Elliot and 11-year-old Helen. 

In a June 2023 interview with TODAY show host Hoda Kotb, De Niro described how his new daughter Gia is doing and even shared a heartwarming message for her. 

While De Niro is proud of his hefty and commendable acting career, he cherishes his role as a father even more. De Niro has been married twice in the past. His first marriage was to singer Abbott, whom he was married to for 12 years from 1976 to 1988. 

After Abbott, he was in a long-term relationship with Smith from 1985 to 1996, when he had twin sons, Aaron and Julian, with Smith through a surrogate. 

His final marriage was to actress Hightower, with whom he shared a somewhat volatile relationship. The couple married in 1997 and had a son, Elliot, who was born in 1998 before splitting in 1999. The couple shares two children, Elliot and daughter Helen, born in 2011 with another surrogate. 

On May 8, 2023, De Niro sat down for an interview with ET Canada to discuss his latest film, "About My Father." In the film, De Niro plays the role of comedian Sebastian Maniscalco's eccentric dad in a movie based loosely on his real-life relationship with his dad. When the reporter asked him a question about fatherhood and described him as a dad of six, De Niro’s correction came with a huge and surprising baby revelation. 

"Seven, actually," he revealed and added, "I just had a baby."

The reporter then continued with her question, asking if he felt like he was more of a "cool" kind of dad or suffered through some embarrassing dad moments. He responded he goes through the typical ups and downs with his kids, as most other dads do.

"I don't think that I'm a cool father. … I'm okay… My daughter, she's 11, she gives me grief sometimes. I'll argue with her.. I adore her, and with my youngest now, that will be more to come," he told the interviewer.

De Niro has been tight-lipped about the details of his new daughter. According to Page Six, the actor had not yet revealed who the mother of his new daughter was, but it was soon speculated that it was with martial arts instructor Tiffany Chen, whom the actor has been dating since 2021. 

According to People Magazine, De Niro’s co-star in “About My Father,” Kim Cattrall, confirmed that he had a child with Chen. 

Speaking to the TODAY Show, De Niro elaborated more about his parenting approach as he welcomed his new daughter. 

“Well, I have certain awareness,” he assured everyone. “When you’re older, you have awareness of certain things in life, dynamics, everything, family dynamics. It’s just, you can’t avoid learning some things, and then how you can deal with those, manage them.”

De Niro’s daughter, who is named Gia, was said to be “great” as he is “very happy” to welcome her. In celebration of the new addition, Kotb and the "TODAY" show team gave De Niro an orange onesie with the print – “HUG ME TODAY.” The actor graciously accepted the gift as he waved it up in the air. 

“Gia, this is for you, honey,” De Niro told the camera as he showed the adorable baby outfit.

Although he has been a doting father to all of his children, De Niro told Access Hollywood that to this day, many people are confused with the real definition of being a father. 

“Sometimes, I don’t think people really know what being a good father is. Well, you know you have a responsibility but look, it’s a mystery, it’s a lot of excitement, but it’s scary and you do your best.”

Are you a fan of Robert De Niro? What do you think about De Niro’s journey through fatherhood? Do you think he’ll be a great father? Let us know, and pass this on to family and friends so they're updated on the latest developments, too.