Actor Robert di Niro has 7 children including Drena, Raphael, Julian, Aaron, Elliot, and Helen. He made the headlines in April 2023 when he welcomed his seventh child, Gia with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen. Often called a family man, De Niro had all his children from four different relationships with four women.
The Academy Award winner has revealed that he and his blended family enjoy spending quality time together, and he continues to support every one of his children in pursuing their dreams.
Here’s all you should know about Robert De Niro’s children
1. Drena De Niro
Robert de Niro’s first child was born on September 3, 1971, to his wife, Diahnne Abbott, and her ex-husband. The actor decided to adopt Drena after he married her mother four years after she was born in 1976. After that, Drena took his surname.
As a celebrity child, one would think Drena was a child star but that’s not it. However, she turned out to be a model instead. She made her runway debut at the New York Fashion Week. Following that, she worked with Patrick Kelly, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Giorgio Armani.
Besides modeling, Drena also worked as a DJ. She later decided to follow in her parents footsteps. Some of her acting credits include movies such as Great Expectations, Joy, and A Star is Born. She also launched her production company, Daredevil Films and Television, where she got involved as a producer.
According to reports, she won an award at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival in 2001 after she made her directorial debut for her first documentary short, Girls & Dolls.
Drena had a grandson, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez for Robert De Niro in 2003 through her relationship with her then-boyfriend. Sadly, she lost her son on July 2, 2023, and a month later, the New York City chief medical examiner’s office revealed to the public that Leandro died of an accidental overdose.
2. Raphael De Niro
Born November 9, 1976, Raphael De Niro was born to actor Robert de Niro and Diahnne Abbott. De Niro’s first son took a different path career-wise. He is well-known as a realtor. He worked with the Manhattan brokerage before he launched his real estate firm, De Niro Team in 2004.
He has been married and divorced twice. He married his first wife Claudine De Matos in 2008 and they had three kids before they separated in 2015 and finalized their divorce in January 2020
3. Julian De Niro and Aaron De Niro
Robert De Niro’s twins, Julian and Aaron were born on October 20, 1995. Their mother, Toukie Smith dated De Niro after his divorce from Abbott. While Aaron is a very private person, his brother is the opposite. Julian has their parents acting genes although he is a graduate of computer science and math from New York University.
In 2016, Julian made his first movie appearance in Dubious Battle which he acted alongside A-list actors like Selena Gomez and Nat Wolff. His TV debut came in 2022 when he portrayed young Barack Obama in Showtime’s historical drama series, The First Lady.
Away from his endeavors, in December 2023, Julian was seen at Art Basel in Miami with his big sister, Drena, and their father.
4. Elliot De Niro
Elliot de Niro is the product of De Niro’s union with his ex-wife, Grace Hightower. He was born on March 18, 1998. In 2016, Robert De Niro revealed his son has autism which propelled him to start advocating for the inclusion of the controversial documentary Vaxxed at the Tribeca Film Festival.
De Niro once claimed on Today Show that there could be a connection between vaccines and autism however, reports say scientific research proves there is no link between the two.
Elliot is a passionate tennis player. He was featured in ESPN’s Special Olympics: 50 Game Changers series in 2018. The actor has revealed playing tennis helps his son.
5. Helen Grace de Niro
De Niro and Hightower’s daughter Helen Grace was born via surrogate on December 23, 2011. Helen has been kept out of the limelight for a long although she is occasionally seen having fun in public with her father.
Even after they divorced, De Niro and Hightower continued to co-parent Elliot and Helen.
6. Gia Virginia Chen De Niro
A month after Gia was born, Robert de Niro made headlines after he revealed the news during an interview with ET Canada. De Niro’s seventh child was born on April 6, 2023, and he shares the baby with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.
Gia’s father opened up in an interview with Rolling Stone that he had plans to teach his daughter both Chinese and English.
Following her birth, Gia’s mother, Tiffany revealed on CBS Mornings that her Bell’s palsy diagnosis came shortly after she gave birth to her. The show also marked Gia’s TV debut as she was introduced to the camera by the host, Gayle King.
Gia Virginia Chen De Niro is just one year old but is already an aunt to her father’s grandkids who are way older.
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