Inside The Lives Of Robert De Niro’s 6 Children Whose Ages Range From Their 50s To A Newborn

Jul 07, 2023 by apost team

Legendary actor Robert De Niro dropped a bombshell during an interview while promoting his film "About My Father," correcting the reporter when she referred to his six children and said on May 8, 2023 – at the age of 79 – a father of seven!

Robert 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 Robert 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 Robert as a renowned actor. He has won a litany of prestigious awards over his many years as a working actor and 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."

Robert has also proved to have many skills behind the camera. He founded the film company TriBeCa Productions with producer Jane Rosenthal, as well as the Tribeca Film Festival. 

Over the years, De Niro has made a strong name for himself amidst the successes and failures of his various relationships. After all, long marriages are infrequent in Hollywood as fame is sometimes too harsh on the private lives of celebrities. Despite the challenges that came with each of the three failed marriages in Robert's life, he has made it a point to raise his children as well as he can. 

While his hefty and commendable acting career is something that Robert is proud of, his role as a father is something he cherishes even more. Robert has been married twice in the past. His first marriage was to singer Diahnne Abbot, whom he was married to for 12 years from 1976 to 1988. During this time, Robert and Abbot had one son, Raphael De Niro, in 1976. Robert also adopted a daughter, Drena De Niro, from Abbot's previous relationship. Drena was born in 1971 and became an actress, appearing in films such as “The Intern” with her dad and “A Star Is Born.” Mindfood reported Raphael worked as an actor for some time, even appearing in one of his father’s classics, “Raging Bull,” before pursuing a career in real estate. 

After Abbot, he was in a long-term relationship with model Toukie Smith from 1988 to 1996. In 1995, they had twin sons, Aaron De Niro and Julian De Niro, through a surrogate. Julian later followed in his father’s footsteps and became an actor, and even played a young Obama in “The First Lady.”

His final marriage was to actress Grace Hightower. The couple married in 1997 and had a son with special needs, Eliot De Niro, a year later. Eliot developed a talent for tennis and even competed in the Special Olympics. The couple split in 1999 and then engaged in a custody battle for a while, according to PEOPLE, but eventually smoothed things over. They even had a vow renewal ceremony in 2004 before splitting permanently in 2018. The couple also had a daughter, Helen De Niro, who was born in 2011 through surrogacy. De Niro has often been spotted with the young Helen out and about, such as in New York City in July 2022.

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Robert is notoriously tight-lipped about his personal life, but in May 2023, he finally shared some of his personal feelings on parenthood as well as surprising news about a new addition to the family.

In an interview with ET Canada's Brittnee Blair to discuss his latest film, "About My Father," Blair turned the discussion to Robert's feelings about fatherhood. "I know you have six kids," Blair said before the star interrupted her to correct her mistake. 

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

Blair could hardly hide her surprise at the news and offered her congratulations. She then asked him 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 (but) I adore her and with my youngest now, that will be more to come," he remarked.

Robert did not, however, divulge when the baby was born or with whom he shares the child, but what is sure is that the actor will continue caring for his baby in the same way he's cared for all his kids over the years. 

"I don't like to have to lay down the law and stuff like that. But (sometimes), you just have no choice. And any parent, I think, would say the same thing. You always want to do the right thing by the children and give them the benefit of the doubt but sometimes you can't," he said.

On May 11, 2023, “CBS Mornings” host Gayle King shared more exciting baby news about Robert’s newest bundle of joy. She said after she reached out to Robert personally for more information about the child, he acquiesced. Then, in a “bona fide exclusive,” King gave Robert’s child her “national TV debut,” revealing not just her name but an adorable photo as well.

King revealed that Robert’s daughter was born on Apr. 6, 2023, and weighed in at 6 ounces. She was given the name Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, after Robert’s mother, the painter Virginia Admiral. The photo showed Gia looking adoringly at the camera while wearing a pink, striped onesie with a full head of black hair.

King divulged that Robert shares the child with his girlfriend, martial arts expert Tiffany Chen. Gayle added the latest addition to Robert’s family now makes him a father to seven children, with his oldest child, Drena, being 51 and the youngest, Gia, being only months old.

Robert is also a grandparent. His oldest biological son, Raphael, has three children with his ex-wife Claudine DeMatos. Drena also had a son named Leandro De Niro-Rodriguez, but on July 2, 2023, she revealed on Instagram that he had passed away at the age of 19.  

“My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly. You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life. I wish I was with you right now,” she wrote of her son, who had also been an actor and starred with her in “A Star In Born.”

Did you know Robert De Niro had so many children? Were you surprised by the news that he had become a dad again at the age of 79? If so, be sure to pass this on to family and friends, so they're updated on the latest developments, too.