Robert De Niro's Seven Children: A Blended Family Spanning Five Decades
Robert De Niro, the Oscar-winning actor, is a father of seven children born between 1971 and 2023. His children come from four different relationships, creating a blended family that spans an age gap of more than half a century. The youngest, Gia Virginia, was born in April 2023 when De Niro was 79 years old.
De Niro once told Access Hollywood: "Sometimes, I don't think people really know what it means to be a good father. You know you have a responsibility, but it's a mystery. It's a lot of excitement, but it's scary, and you do your best."
Drena De Niro: The Adopted Eldest Daughter
Drena De Niro was born on 3 September 1971 to actress Diahnne Abbott. Robert De Niro formally adopted her at age five after marrying Abbott in 1976. Now 54, Drena has worked as a fashion model, DJ, and musical supervisor for Giorgio Armani before transitioning to acting. She has appeared in A Star Is Born and shared the screen with her father in Showtime and The Intern. Tragically, her only son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, died on 2 July 2023 from accidental fentanyl poisoning.
Raphael De Niro: From Actor to Luxury Real Estate Broker
Raphael De Niro, born 9 November 1976, is De Niro's first biological son. He briefly acted, appearing alongside his father in Awakenings (1990), but later became a successful luxury real estate broker in New York City with Douglas Elliman. His clients include Jon Bon Jovi, Renée Zellweger, and Kelly Ripa. Raphael has a son, Nicholas De Niro, born 21 May 2009.
Julian Henry De Niro: The Academically Gifted Twin
Julian Henry De Niro was born on 20 October 1995 to De Niro and model Toukie Smith, conceived via IVF and delivered by a gestational surrogate. He double-majored in computer science and mathematics at NYU's Courant Institute. In 2022, he portrayed a young Barack Obama in The First Lady and also appeared in In Dubious Battle.
Airyn De Niro: The Transgender Daughter
Airyn De Niro, formerly Aaron Kendrick De Niro, is Julian's twin, also born 20 October 1995. She is an aspiring model and voice actor, with credits in The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run (2020) and Ravenwood Rising (2024). In April 2025, she discussed her transition as a transgender woman. De Niro told Variety: "I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don't know what the big deal is. I love all my children."
Elliot De Niro: Autism Advocate
Elliot De Niro, born 18 March 1998, is the first child of De Niro and his second wife, Grace Hightower. He is passionate about sports and participates in Special Olympics tennis programs. In 2016, De Niro publicly shared that Elliot is on the autism spectrum, saying: "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."
Helen Grace De Niro: Following in Her Father's Footsteps
Helen Grace De Niro, born 23 December 2011 via surrogate, is the second daughter of De Niro and Grace Hightower. At age 14, she was reportedly cast in an upcoming Hollywood film, possibly the Focker-in-Law film alongside Ariana Grande.
Gia Virginia Chen De Niro: The Baby Born at 79
Gia Virginia Chen De Niro was born on 6 April 2023 to De Niro and martial arts instructor Tiffany Chen. De Niro, then 79, announced the birth during an interview with ET Canada, correcting a journalist who mentioned six children: "Seven, actually. I just had a baby."
Robert De Niro's Romantic Partners
De Niro's children are from four relationships. He married Diahnne Abbott in 1976 (divorced 1988), with whom he shares adopted daughter Drena and biological son Raphael. He was in a relationship with Toukie Smith from 1988 to 1996, resulting in twins Julian and Airyn. He married Grace Hightower in 1997 (separated 2018), with whom he has Elliot and Helen Grace. Since 2021, he has been with Tiffany Chen, mother of Gia Virginia.
