Robert De Niro makes rare admission about ‘complex’ family life and claims he ‘tries his best’ to be a good father to his seven children
Hollywood legend Robert De Niro has opened up about the complexities of family life, making rare comments about his role as father to seven children at the age of 81.
The actor revealed in a weekend interview with The Times that he “tries his best” to be a good parent, whilst acknowledging that “family is complex”.
De Niro, who welcomed his youngest child just 19 months ago with girlfriend Tiffany Chen, spoke candidly about his experiences juggling a large family spanning multiple generations.
The Godfather star suggested that each of his children would have “a different answer” if asked to describe him as a father.
De Niro shared insights into his daily routine with baby Gia, revealing he’s an early riser who spends his mornings watching YouTube videos featuring Ms Rachel, a popular children’s content creator.
“I spend my mornings watching Ms Rachel with her, and I give her her bottle,” the actor told The Times.
While De Niro demonstrates hands-on parenting with his youngest child, he admits there’s one parental duty he won’t undertake – changing nappies, though he notes he has performed this task with some of his other children.
“She’s such an adorable baby. So sweet,” he said of Gia. “[When I] look at her, everything else goes away.”
De Niro’s family spans an impressive age range, with his eldest daughter Drena being 56 and his youngest, Gia, just 19 months old.
His children include Drena and Raphael, 47, from his marriage to Diahnne Abbott, whilst twins Aaron and Julian, 28, were born to former girlfriend Toukie Smith.
With ex-wife Grace Hightower, he shares Elliot, 25, and Helen, 12.
His youngest child, Gia, was born in 2023 when De Niro was 79, with his current girlfriend, professional martial artist Tiffany Chen, whom he met on the set of The Intern in 2015.
The pregnancy was “planned,” De Niro told Page Six at the time.
De Niro reflected on the diverse perspectives within his family, telling The Times that if his children were asked to describe him, they would “all have a different answer”.
“I try my best, that’s all. I hope they’ll be happy,” the actor added.
Family gatherings hold special significance for De Niro, who emphasised that having all his children together “is everything to me”.
His elder children “all get a big kick out of” baby Gia, he revealed, noting the unique family dynamic where his teenage grandchildren have an infant aunt.
“The grandkids even. She’s their aunt— [and] they’re about to be teenagers!” he said.