Robert De Niro opens up about being a father at 80
Feb 08, 2024
Los Angeles [US], February 8 : After becoming a parent for the seventh time, actor Robert De Niro has talked candidly about the joy of being a new father.
He welcomed his youngest child, Gia, last year with his partner, 45-year-old martial arts instructor Tiffany Chen, with whom he has been romantically linked since 2021.
"She's such an adorable baby. So sweet," the 80-year-old said in an interview with People.
He added, "(When I) look at her, everything else goes away. So it's a great joy and relief to just be with her in the moment."
'The Godfather Part II' actor said it means "everything" to him when his family can "all be together."
De Niro's other children, Drena and Raphael (with his first wife Diahnne Abbott), twins Julian and Aaron (with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith), Elliot and Helen (with ex-wife Grace Hightower) are proud older siblings.
Talking about Gia, De Niro said, "The kids all get a big kick out of her."
"The grandkids even," he continued. "She's their aunt -- (and) they're about to be teenagers."
De Niro received his ninth Oscar nomination for their most recent collaboration, Killers of the Flower Moon (he also received one for producing Best Picture candidate The Irishman), joining only 17 other actors in Hollywood history who have had eight or more acting nods.
De Niro was on the set of his next Netflix series 'Zero Day', a political thriller he's also executive producing when he learned of his latest nomination, as per People.
For De Niro, the reward is the work. Asked about retirement, he said that he isn't ready, He said, "Not at the moment."