The Godfather actor reveals a surprising personal fact about his family life
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Robert De Niro is well known for his role in movies such as Goodfellas and Taxi Driver, but what will fans think of him after a recent interview has outed him as an idle parent?
De Niro Shares His Thoughts About Parenthood
De Niro and his 45-year-old partner, Tiffany Chen share a 5-month-old daughter named Gia Virginia. Born in April, she is the first child that De Niro and Chen share and she is the youngest of De Niro’s seven children in total. In an interview with The Guardian, the actor admitted that fatherhood simply “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. And we have help, which is so important,” De Niro added.
The Guardian journalist then asked whether De Niro enjoys fatherhood.
“Of course I do. All of it. With a baby it’s different [than] with my 11-year-old. My adult children. My grandchildren. It’s all different.”
“I don’t talk to the adult children the way I talk to my baby or the way I speak to my 11-year-old, though she’s pretty smart,” the Heat actor continued.
De Niro and Chen first started dating in 2021. The twice-divorced Oscar winner was already a father to Drena, 52 and Raphael, 46 with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbot. He also has twins Julian and Aaron, 27 with his former girlfriend, Toukie Smith. De Niro is also the father of Elliot, 25, and Helen, 11 whom he shares with his ex-wife Grace Hightower.
De Niro’s Newest Addition To The Family
During an interview with ET Canada in May, De Niro nonchalantly revealed the newest addition to his family. When the reporter referred to him as a “father of six” De Niro quickly corrected the statement by saying, “Seven, actually. I just had a baby.”
Later that same month, Gayle King revealed baby Gia’s name and first photo on CBS Mornings.
“They both wanted this baby,” King said at the time.
“They’re over the moon. She was brought here in love. He’s very psyched about it,” she added.
Just three months after Gia’s birth, the De Niro family suffered a major loss when his 19-year-old grandson, Leandro, passed away from an accidental drug overdose. The cause of death was confirmed by the New York City Medical Examiner and later shared with Page Six. He was the only son of his eldest daughter, Drena.
“I’m deeply distressed by the passing of my beloved grandson, Leo,” said De Niro at the time of the incident.
“We’re greatly appreciative of the condolences from everyone. We ask that we please be given privacy to grieve our loss of Leo.”
Later, De Niro was photographed in a solemn moment at Leandro’s funeral in New York City.
So while Robert De Niro loves his children, it doesn’t seem like he’s doing much of the “heavy lifting” as he worded it. Does that mean he hasn’t ever changed a diaper? For someone with seven children, something like this seems rather alarming.
But hey, parenting in Hollywood isn’t as easy as one would think. Even Reese Witherspoon has been rather open about the highs and lows she’s experienced in parenthood, saying that sometimes she let’s her children “sit in discomfort.”
Still, we are wishing the best for the De Niro family as they continue to spoil sweet little, Gia.