How Many Kids Does Robert De Niro Have?

Robert De Niro's Kids Range From Toddler to 50s — Meet All 7 of Them

Oct 20 2023 by Michele Mendez

Robert De Niro's big family grew by one this year with the addition of his youngest daughter. On 8 May, the veteran actor told ET Canada that he had recently welcomed his seventh child at the age of 79. The "Killers of the Flower Moon" star, now 80, shared the news while talking about his movie "About My Father."

During the interview, host Brittnee Blair noted that De Niro has "six kids," and that's when he took the opportunity to announce that he's now a father of seven. "I just had a baby," he said casually. Shortly afterward, De Niro confirmed to "CBS Mornings" that he welcomed his baby girl named Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro with his partner Tiffany Chen — a martial arts instructor whom he met on the set of "The Intern" in 2015. "I'm okay with it. I'm good with it," De Niro told Extra about becoming a father again, adding that parenting "never gets easier."

The "Godfather Part II" star has six other children from his various relationships over the years. He shares children Drena and Raphael with his first wife, Diahnne Abbott; twins Julian and Aaron with his former girlfriend, Toukie Smith; and kids Elliot and Helen with his second wife, Grace Hightower.

Ahead, find all the need-to-know details about De Niro's seven children, including their ages and careers, plus his grandchildren.

Image Source: Getty / Kristina Bumphrey

1. Drena De Niro

De Niro and Diahnne Abbott got married in 1976 after meeting on the set of "Taxi Driver." The "Savage Salvation" actor then adopted Abbott's daughter, Drena, from a previous marriage. Drena was born on 3 Sept., 1971, making her five years old when she was adopted and took on De Niro's surname. After growing up on film sets her entire childhood, Drena went on to become a model, DJ, and actress. She's appeared in several of her father's films, including "Great Expectations," "Showtime," and "The Intern," as well as other movies like "Joy" and "A Star Is Born."

Image Source: Getty/ Gary Gershoff

2. Raphael De Niro

On 9 Nov., 1976, De Niro and Abbott welcomed their son Raphael. As a kid, Raphael was given the opportunity to act in some of his parents's films like "Raging Bull," "Love Streams," and "Awakenings." In a December 2017 interview with The Real Deal, Raphael said that he chose not to continue acting because it "didn't appeal" to him and he didn't want to live in his father's shadow. So, instead of chasing fame, Raphael made a name for himself as a real estate agent for Douglas Elliman. His celebrity clients have included Jon Bon Jovi, Kelly Ripa, and Renée Zellweger.

Image Source: Getty/ Pierre Zonzon

3. Julian De Niro

After divorcing Abbott in 1988, De Niro moved on with "227" actress Toukie Smith. The couple welcomed their twin sons, Julian and Aaron, via surrogate on 20 Oct., 1995. Just like his parents, Julian has also become an actor. In 2016, he appeared in the film "In Dubious Battle," and in 2022, he played a young Barack Obama in the Showtime TV series "The First Lady." Most recently, he made his Broadway debut in "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" in April.

Image Source: Getty/ John Nacion

4. Aaron De Niro

Aaron has chosen to live outside of the spotlight, so little information is known about him. He was born on 20 Oct., 1995, alongside his twin brother. Although their parents were never married, they were in a long-term relationship from 1988 to 1996. Aaron and Julian were just a year old when De Niro and Smith split. (Aaron, Julian and Elliot De Niro are pictured here in 2007.)

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5. Elliot De Niro

A year after De Niro married actress Grace Hightower, the couple welcomed their son Elliot on 18 March, 1998. Although not much is known about Elliot, De Niro confirmed in March 2016 that his son has autism while showing his support for the anti-vaccination documentary "Vaxxed" to be screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, which he co-founded. "Grace and I have a child with autism and we believe it is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism be openly discussed and examined," De Niro said in a statement at the time.

However, following backlash, De Niro ultimately decided to pull the film. "My intent in screening this film was to provide an opportunity for conversation around an issue that is deeply personal to me and my family," he told The Hollywood Reporter. "But after reviewing it over the past few days with the Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientific community, we do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for."

Image Source: Getty/ Nathan Congleton

6. Helen Grace De Niro

De Niro and Hightower's daughter, Helen, was born via surrogate on 23 Dec., 2011. Considering she's still just a kid, it's not surprising the couple has kept details about Helen under wraps. After the pair split in November 2018, De Niro and Hightower initially appeared to have separated amicably. "Grace and I have two beautiful children together. We are entering a period of transition in our relationship which is a difficult but constructive process," De Niro said in a statement at the time. "I honour Grace as a wonderful mother and ask for privacy and respect from all as we proceed to develop our roles as partners in parenting."

Image Source: Getty/ Bruce Glikas

7. Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro

While speaking to ET Canada on 8 May, De Niro announced that he welcomed his seventh child, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro. Although he didn't immediately share any more details, he confirmed to "CBS Mornings" on 11 May that he and Chen are the proud parents of a baby girl, who was born on 6 April, 2023. The outlet also shared the first photo of Gia. In the picture, she can be seen wearing an adorable pink onesie while looking at the camera.

Following De Niro's announcement, Jennifer Lawrence told Andy Cohen during her "Watch What Happens Live" appearance on 26 June that she gifted her "Silver Linings Playbook" costar a baby nurse to celebrate his daughter's birth. She also added that she was "really happy" for De Niro.

Fast forward to October, De Niro shared another update about parenthood and how he's been raising his infant daughter with The Guardian. "It's going OK," he said simply, though he also added, "It doesn't get easier." "It is what it is. It's OK. I mean, I don't do the heavy lifting. I'm there, I support my girlfriend. But she does the work," De Niro further explained. "And we have help, which is so important." The actor continued by saying that fatherhood is "different" with a baby compared to how he's raised his older children. "I don't talk to the adult children the way I talk to my baby," De Niro said, "or the way I speak to my 11-year-old."