Current:Home > NewsRobert De Niro says fatherhood 'feels great' at 80, gets emotional over his baby daughter -BrightPath Capital
Robert De Niro says fatherhood 'feels great' at 80, gets emotional over his baby daughter
View
Date:2025-04-19 08:07:22
For Robert De Niro, fatherhood has not lost its shine after almost 50 years.
In an interview for the February/March 2024 issue of AARP The Magazine, released Thursday, the "Killers of the Flower Moon" actor, 80, revealed that a photo of his 12-year-old daughter, Helen De Niro, is the wallpaper on his phone. (She is his second child with Grace Hightower; he and Hightower filed for divorce in 2018.)
On the topic of family, De Niro apparently became emotional as he spoke about how his seventh and youngest child, nine-month-old Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro (whom he shares with his partner, Tiffany Chen), has made a profound impact on him.
"Everything that I'm consumed with or worried about just goes away when I look at her. It’s wondrous. When she gets older — who knows?" he said. "But that very sweet way she has of looking at you, taking you in, thinking and watching and observing ..."
Robert De Niro: Parenting 'doesn't get easier'
Though De Niro seldom opens up about his family, he briefly touched on fatherhood in an interview with The Guardian published in October.
The "Godfather" actor said "It doesn't get easier" when asked about parenting. "It is what it is. It's OK," he said. "I mean, I don't do the heavy lifting. I'm there; I support my girlfriend. But she does the work. And we have help, which is so important."
De Niro also mused about being an older father — and a grandfather.
"You think more about time. Every summer, every new season, everything, you say, ‘Well, I’m going to use these few months of the summer to be with my kids, my family,'" he said about his ambition to "stay alive." "Everything I do, time-wise, is important. Whatever I’m thinking about doing in two years, I’d better think about doing it now.”
De Niro adopted Diahnne Abbott's daughter, Drena De Niro, 52, in his first marriage with Abbott. Drena De Niro had a son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, who died last July from an accidental drug overdose. Raphael De Niro, 47, was born in 1976. Robert De Niro and Abbott divorced in 1988.
He shares twins Julian and Aaron, 27, with Toukie Smith, whom he never married. Elliot, 25, and Helen Grace, 12, were born during his marriage with Grace Hightower. The couple married in 1997 and filed for divorce in 2018.
De Niro family tree:A timeline of Robert De Niro's relationships, children
veryGood! (1)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Super Bowl champion Chiefs will open regular season at home against Ravens in AFC title game rematch
- Severe storms blitz the US South again after one of the most active tornado periods in history
- The Integration of DAF Token with the Financial Sector
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- WT Finance Institute, the Cradle of Financial Elites
- Book excerpt: What This Comedian Said Will Shock You by Bill Maher
- US airlines are suing the Biden administration over a new rule to make certain fees easier to spot
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Caitlin Clark takeaways from first two episodes of ESPN docuseries 'Full Court Press'
Ranking
- Federal court filings allege official committed perjury in lawsuit tied to Louisiana grain terminal
- Sean 'Diddy' Combs asks judge to reject lawsuit alleging rape of 17-year-old girl in 2003
- 2024 NBA mock draft: Atlanta Hawks projected to take Alex Sarr with No. 1 pick
- Patriots coach Jerod Mayo says rookie QB Drake Maye 'has a lot to work on'
- The Daily Money: Spending more on holiday travel?
- Forgotten Keepers of the Rio Grande Delta: a Native Elder Fights Fossil Fuel Companies in Texas
- Israeli settlers attacked this West Bank village in a spasm of violence after a boy’s death
- Kaia Gerber Shares Insight Into Pregnant Pal Hailey Bieber's Maternal Side
Recommendation
Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
Rise in UK knife attacks leads to a crackdown and stokes public anxiety
Dr. Cyril Wecht, celebrity pathologist who argued more than 1 shooter killed JFK, dies at 93
Sleepy far-flung towns in the Philippines will host US forces returning to counter China threats
DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere
Flash floods in northern Afghanistan sweep away livelihoods, leaving hundreds dead and missing
Fine dining, at a new high. A Michelin-starred chef will take his cuisine to our upper atmosphere