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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Robert De Niro reveals fatherhood at 80 bring him 'great joy'

Robert De Niro has described his baby daughter Gia as a “great joy” after he became a father for the seventh time at the age of 79.

De Niro, now 80, shares his youngest child, just ten months old, with his partner Tiffany Chen, 45, who is a martial arts instructor.

He is already a father to Drena, 56, and Raphael, 47, with his first wife Diahnne Abbott, twins Julian and Aaron, 28, with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith, and Elliot, 25, and Helen, 12, with ex-wife Grace Hightower.

He told People magazine of Gia: “She’s such an adorable baby. So sweet.

“[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 Oscar winner added: “The kids all get a big kick out of her.

De Niro pictured with Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, and Cara Jade Myers (PA Archive)

“The grandkids even. She’s their aunt – [and] they’re about to be teenagers!”

Raphael has three children while Drena’s son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, died aged 19 last year.

De Niro added he loves when they can all gather, saying: “The fact that they’d all be together is everything to me.”

The actor is currently Oscar-nominated for best supporting actor for his role in Martin Scorsese’s western crime epic Killers Of The Flower Moon. De Niro said he has no plans to slow down.

When asked about retirement, he simply said: “Not at the moment.”

The critically acclaimed actor shocked many when he announced the birth of his seventh child while promoting his film About My Father Last May.

Speaking to ET Canada at the time, presenter Brittnee Blair stated during their chat: “I know you have six kids,” to which the actor corrected her, replying: “Seven, actually. I just had a baby.”

Despite enjoying fatherhood for the seventh time, De Niro and his family have been grieving also following Leandro’s tragic passing last July.

The teenager’s death was confirmed on July 3 by his mother, Drena, on Instagram, who later claimed that his death was caused by taking pills that were laced with fentanyl.

In August, New York City’s chief medical examiner ruled that the 19-year-old died of an accidental overdose from a combination of illicit drugs.

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