Robert De Niro’s 7 Children: Everything to Know

Robert De Niro is a family man through and through.

The Oscar winner has seven children. De Niro and his first wife Diahnne Abbott are parents to daughter Drena (52) and son Raphael (47). In 1995, he had twin sons Julian and Aaron (28) with his ex-girlfriend, model and actress Toukie Smith. De Niro has a son Elliot (25) and a daughter Helen Grace (11) with his ex-wife Grace Hightower. In April 2023, the proud father had a little girl, Gia, with his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen.

Also a grandfather, De Niro said the best thing a parent or grandparent can do is encourage their children to pursue their dreams.

“For my kids, I tell them, ‘If you want to be an actor or you want to do this or that, that’s fine as long as you’re happy. Just don’t sell yourself short,'” De Niro told PEOPLE in January 2020. “That is the most I’d say — try a little harder and go for what you really think you want to do. Don’t be afraid.”

In July 2023, De Niro’s grandson Leandro De Niro Rodriguez died of an accidental overdose at the age of 19.

Leandro’s mother, Drena, shared the devastating news on Instagram, writing: “I don’t know how to live without you, but I will try to carry on and spread the love and light you made me feel when I became your mom. You were so deeply loved and appreciated and I wish only that love could save you.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Robert De Niro’s children.

Drena De Niro, 52

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Drena De Niro was born to Diahna Abbott and her then-husband on September 3, 1971. De Niro adopted Drena when he married Abbott in 1976, when Drena took the actor’s last name.

As the child of two successful actors, Drena spent many of her younger years on film sets and traveling the world – De Niro filmed The Godfather Part II and 1900 all over Italy when Drena was little. In an interview with S. in 2011 avenue magazine, she described her time in Italy as one of her favorite childhood memories.

“Those were very happy years in my life,” she told the newspaper. “There was a lot of travel, and that definitely instilled in the young kid a comfort and a love of travel.”

Drena eventually became a model and debuted on the catwalk at New York Fashion Week. Since then she has worked with designers such as Patrick Kelly, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vivienne Westwood and Giorgio Armani. After an impressive modeling career, Drena worked as a DJ, but acting always caught her eye.

“I knew that, actually, I wanted to act. What struck me was the work aspect,” she told za avenue magazine. “Everyone was really dedicated and committed to the job.” Her CV includes films like Big expectations, A star is born and Joy.

She also tried her hand at producing, and early on she started the production company Daredevil Films and Television. “I was more inclined to get involved as a producer,” said Drena avenue. “I didn’t really want to just be told what to do; I also wanted to tell people what to do. … That’s more my nature.” In 2001, she directed her first short documentary film, Little girls and dollsfor which she won an award at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival, according to her website.

Dren De Niro and Leandro Rodriguez.

Drena De Niro/Instagram

In 2003, Drena and her then-boyfriend, Carlos Rodriguez, welcomed a son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez. “Kids really put everything into perspective. All of a sudden, certain things that one would think are so important don’t matter at all,” she said. “Life is definitely changing, but it’s a big change.”

Leandro died on July 2, 2023. Drena shared the news of her 19-year-old son’s death on Instagram.

“My beautiful sweet angel. I loved you without words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly,” she captioned a photo of her only child. “You were my joy, my heart and everything that was ever pure and real in my life. I wish I was with you right now.”

A month later, the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Leandro died of an accidental overdose. According to the medical examiner, there were “toxic” levels of “fentanyl, bromazolam, alprazolam, 7-aminoclonazepam, ketamine and cocaine” in Leandro’s body at the time of his death.

“Today would have been 20 years old 💔 Thank you for the happiest and deepest decades of my life, little angel,” Drena wrote on Instagram just a few days after the medical examiner’s findings were released. “I hope you are at peace and your spirit is filled with joy today and always.”

Raphael De Niro, 47

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De Niro and Abbott had a son, Raphael Eugene De Niro, on November 9, 1976. Although Raphael did not follow in his family’s film footsteps, he made a name for himself working for Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

Raphael has been working with the Manhattan brokerage since the early 2000s. According to his professional website, Raphael started the De Niro Team in 2004 with a real estate company. His A-list clients include Jon Bon Jovi, Kelly Ripa and Renée Zellweger. In 2008, Raphael became a partner in the Greenwich Hotel in TriBeCa, New York. He is also a founding member of the New York Residential Agent Continuum.

In 2008, Raphael married Claudine De Matos in a private wedding in the Bahamas. The couple reportedly met at Douglas Elliman. They had three children together before splitting in 2015. Their divorce was finalized in January 2020. Page six.

Raphael found love again with stylist Hannah Carnes. Page six reported that they made their first public appearance at a screening of De Niro’s film Wizard of lies in May 2017. The couple planned to marry in April 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Raphael and Carnes exchanged vows at NYC City Hall in March 2020.

“We want to celebrate with friends and family with a casual dinner when it’s safe, at Milos at Hudson Yards,” he told New York Post. “It’s one of our favorite restaurants.”

Julian De Niro, 28

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

After his divorce from Abbott, De Niro began dating actress Toukie Smith in 1988. Their son Julian Henry was born along with his twin brother Aaron on October 20, 1995.

Julian inherited his parents’ acting genes. In 2016, Julian joined In a suspicious battleAn A-list cast that includes James Franco, Selena Gomez and Nat Wolff. The film marked his first credited film appearance. His television debut took place in 2022: Julian played a young Barack Obama in the Showtime historical drama series The first lady.

He also studied computer science and mathematics at New York University. It was even published in The Washington Post after conducting an in-depth analysis of Twitter to find out “what people craved most in 2018.” with his professor and classmate.

In December 2023, Julian made a rare public appearance with De Niro and his sister Drena at Art Basel in Miami. The trio spent the evening looking at art and taking silly family photos.

Aaron De Niro, 28

Julian’s twin brother, Aaron Kendrick, was also born on October 20, 1995. Very little is known about Aaron, as he has been ultra-private for most of his life. In a performance at Tonight’s show in which he stars Jimmy FallonDe Niro spoke about raising his biracial children.

“All my kids are half black, and even I take some things for granted,” De Niro said, admitting that he was given more opportunities as a white man. “When people say that, they tell their kids, ‘Watch your hands [out] when pulled over by any policeman, keep your hands on the wheel, don’t make sudden movements, don’t put your hands under, don’t do this,’ you understand that.”

Elliot De Niro, 25

Born on March 18, 1998, Elliot De Niro is the first child of De Niro and ex-wife Grace Hightower. In March 2016, the actor revealed that his son Elliot has autism.

In the same year, De Niro argued for the inclusion of a controversial documentary Vaxxed at the Tribeca Film Festival, which he co-founded. “I think the movie is something people should see. I, as a parent with a child who has autism, am concerned. I want to know the truth,” De Niro said later during an appearance on Today show. “And I’m not against vaccines, I want safe vaccines.”

Vaxxed, led by discredited doctor Andrew Wakefield, attempted to question the scientific research that proves there is no link between autism and vaccines. However, scientific research has shown that there is no link between vaccines and autism.

One of Elliot’s passions is playing tennis. In 2018, he was featured in ESPN Special Olympics: 50 game changes series, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics.

“Finding things for kids is a difficult part of the whole situation with parents of children with special needs,” De Niro said in the episode. “[Playing tennis] helps him. He has more confidence when he sees that he is actually good at it. It’s the best self-motivator anyone can have.”

Helen Grace De Niro, 11

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De Niro and Hightower welcomed a daughter, Helen Grace, via surrogate on December 23, 2011.

The former couple did their best to keep Helen out of the limelight while she was still a child. De Niro and Helen have been spotted out and about in public enjoying some father-daughter time together, including at the beach in California and out and about in Manhattan, in photos obtained by Daily mail.

In 2018, De Niro and Hightower separated after more than 20 years together. However, they remain friendly as they co-parent Elliott and Helen. “I respect Grace as a wonderful mother,” De Niro said in a statement.

Speaking about his kids getting older, De Niro previously told PEOPLE, “There are great moments and sad moments … Sometimes you’re the last person they want to deal with. It’s like when you walk your kids off to school and they get older and they don’t they want to hold your hand or kiss you goodbye.”

Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro

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On April 6, 2023, De Niro welcomed his seventh child — his first with girlfriend Tiffany Chen — daughter Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz. However, he revealed the news of Gia’s birth only more than a month later during an interview with ET Canada.

When asked about six children, the Oscar winner corrected the interlocutor and said: “Actually seven.”

“I just had a baby,” he explained, though he didn’t give any additional details about the little one.

On the red carpet at the New York premiere of his film About My FatherDe Niro spoke with Extra about welcoming a second child at the age of 79.

“I’m okay with it. I’m fine with it,” he said, adding that raising children “is never easier” no matter how old you are.

Two months after his child’s birth, the actor spoke to PEOPLE about his children while in attendance A story from the Bronx screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. When asked if his older children have already met Gia, he said: “They haven’t yet, but they will.”

In July 2023, Chen spoke with Gayle King CBS Morning about her Bell’s palsy diagnosis, which came shortly after she gave birth to Gia. Also in the episode, Gia appeared and King had to hold the baby. “You’re making your TV debut on CBS Mornings,” King said as she held Gia up to the camera.

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Source: HIS Education