Robert De Niro has spent decades in the spotlight, but the Oscar-winning actor has also taken on one of his most important roles away from Hollywood: fatherhood. The esteemed actor is a father of seven children, and in a recent interview, he opened up about the challenges of raising a large family while balancing an enduring career in entertainment.
Robert De Niro is reflecting on his life as a father to seven kids, and while he does his best, he acknowledges that he still has feelings of self-doubt when it comes to being present.
The actor’s latest role is that of a retired police detective who is forced to reconnect with his estranged son in the Netflix thriller, “The Whisper Man.” While promoting the film, De Niro spoke with PEOPLE about his own experiences, saying he doesn’t know if there’s a secret to fatherhood.
“It’s just managing it all. And there’s no way around not feeling a little guilty about not being there at times you should, or you think you should,” the 83-year-old actor said.
De Niro explained that becoming a parent means jumping into the role and figuring things out along the way.
The Actor Has 7 Children Between The Ages Of 3 And 54
De Niro has seven children with four different women. He married Diahnne Abbot in 1976, and together they had Drena and Raphael. The couple divorced in 1988.
The actor welcomed twins, Julian and Airyn, in 1995 with his then-partner, Toukie Smith. The couple was together for about eight years, but they never married. They parted ways in 1996 and remained co-parents.
In 1997, De Niro married Grace Hightower, and they had two children, Elliot and Helen Grace. The actor and flight attendant divorced in 2018.
In 2023, De Niro’s partner, Tiffany Chen, gave birth to a daughter they named Gia.
The actor shares a close bond with his children and has made an effort to remain present in their lives.
Robert De Niro Has Repeatedly Expressed Love For His Children
His career took off in the early ’70s, and he starred in several hit films in the years following, including “Mean Streets,” “The Godfather II,” “Taxi Driver,” “The Deer Hunter,” and “Raging Bull,” to name a few. He has remained active in the industry for more than six decades and continues to take on new projects well into his early 80s.
Over the years, the veteran actor has shared glimpses of how he is as a father. In a 2024 interview on “The Chris Wallace Show,” De Niro talked about fatherhood, sharing that despite his busy career, he always put his children first. “I was busy, of course, but I always loved my kids,” he said, adding that he tries his best to be a good father. “I’m going to put on my gravestone, ‘I tried my best’,” he noted.
In 2025, the actor shared some parenting advice with Entertainment Tonight, saying, “The main thing is to support your kids. You have to support them, period. And they have to know that you support them. Always.”
Raphael De Niro Talks About Being Raised By His Parents
Raphael, De Niro’s eldest son, is a luxury real estate broker and businessman. In 2017, he shared how his parents, who were both in the entertainment industry, wanted him to learn about responsibility.
Despite having an A-list celebrity as a father, Raphael said he held various jobs before entering the real estate world, including folding rugs at a store, working as a production assistant for De Niro, and serving as a busboy at Nobu, which his father co-owns.
“My parents felt it was good for me to get some responsibility. They were worried that I’d become a typical Hollywood kid,” Raphael told The Real Deal.
The father and son are also business partners, co-owning The Greenwich Hotel in Tribeca along with other partners.
Airyn Said Her Father ‘Should Be The Standard’
Airyn De Niro came out as transgender in April 2025, and shortly after, De Niro said, “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,” per The Blast.
Airyn shared that she has received “nonstop” support from her father, who expressed his happiness that she had found someone who loves her for who she is. “He’s very good at being a dad, not just that, [but also] accepting people from all walks of life,” Airyn told Them.
She further stated that De Niro “should be the standard” when it comes to fatherhood.
