Robert De Niro's 7 Children: Everything to Know

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo:Drena/Instagram

Drena/Instagram

Robert De Nirois a family man through and through.

While talking to PEOPLE in February 2024, De Niro said his favorite thing to do with his children is “just being together, taking trips to warm places.”

“The fact that they’d all be together is everything to me," he said.

Also a grandfather, De Niro has said that the best thing a parent or grandparent can do is push their kids toreach for their dreams.

“For my kids, I tell them, ‘If you want to be an actor or you want to do this or that, that’s fine as long as you’re happy. Just don’t sell yourself short,’ " De Niro told PEOPLE in January 2020. “That’s the most I would say — push yourself a little more and reach for what you really think it is you want to do. Don’t be afraid.”

Here’s everything to know about Robert De Niro’s children.

Drena De Niro, 53

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Drena De Nirowas born to Diahnne Abbott and her then-husband on Sept. 3, 1971. De Niro adopted Drena when he married Abbott in 1976, at which point Drena took the actor’s surname.

As the child of two successful actors, Drena spent many of her younger years on film sets and traveling the world — De Niro was filmingThe Godfather Part IIand1900throughout Italy when Drena was a toddler. In a 2011 interview withAvenuemagazine, she described her time in Italy as some of the most cherished memories of her childhood.

“They were very happy years in my life,” she told the outlet. “There was a lot of traveling, and, for a young kid, it definitely implanted a comfort and a love of travel.”

“I knew that, really, what I wanted to do was act. What struck me was the work aspect,” she toldAvenuemagazine. “Everyone was really committed and dedicated to the work.” Her résumé includes movies likeGreat Expectations,A Star is BornandJoy.

She also tried her hand at producing, and launched the production company Daredevil Films and Television in the early aughts. “I was more inclined to get involved as a producer,” Drena toldAvenue. “I didn’t really want to just be told what to do; I also wanted to tell people what to do. … That’s more my nature.” In 2001, she directed her first documentary short,Girls & Dolls, for which she won an award at the New York Independent Film and Video Festival, perher website.

Drena De Niro and Leandro Rodriguez.Drena De Niro/Instagram

Drena De Niro/Instagram

In 2003, Drena and her then-boyfriend, Carlos Rodriguez, welcomed their son Leandro De Niro Rodriguez. “Kids really put everything in perspective. Suddenly, certain things that one would consider so important are not important at all,” she said. “Life definitely changes, but it’s a great change.”

Leandro died on July 2, 2023. Drena shared the news of her 19-year-old son’s death on Instagram.

“My beautiful sweet angel. I have loved you beyond words or description from the moment I felt you in my belly,” she captioned a photo of her only child. “You have been my joy my heart and all that was ever pure and real in my life. I wish I was with you right now.”

“You would have been 20 yrs old today💔 Thank you for the happiest and most profound 2 decades of my life, little angel,” Drena wrote on Instagram just days after the medical examiner’s report was released. “I hope you are at peace and your spirit is filled with joy today and always.”

Raphael De Niro, 48

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De Niro and Abbott welcomed son Raphael Eugene De Niro on Nov. 9, 1976. While Raphael didn’t follow in his family’s cinematic footsteps, he has made a name for himself, working forDouglas Ellimanreal estate.

Raphael has been working with the Manhattan brokerage since the early 2000s. According tohis professional website, Raphael launched the De Niro Team with the real estate firm in 2004. His A-list clients have includedJon Bon Jovi,Kelly RipaandRenée Zellweger. In 2008, Raphael became a partner at the Greenwich Hotel in New York City’s TriBeCa neighborhood. He is also a founding board member of the New York Residential Agent Continuum.

In 2008, Raphael tied the knot withClaudine De Matosin a private destination wedding in the Bahamas. The pair reportedly met at Douglas Elliman. They welcomed three kids together before separating in 2015. Their divorce was finalized in January 2020, perPage Six.

Raphael found love again with stylist Hannah Carnes.Page Sixreported that they made their first public appearance at the screening of De Niro’s filmThe Wizard of Liesin May 2017. The couple had planned to marry in April 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Raphael and Carnes exchanged vows at N.Y.C.’s City Hall l in March 2020.

“We want to celebrate with friends and family over a casual dinner when it is safe to do so, at Milos in Hudson Yards,” he told theNew York Post. “It’s one of our favorite restaurants.”

Julian De Niro, 29

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

After his divorce from Abbott, De Niro began dating actress Toukie Smith in 1988. Their sonJulian Henrywas born alongside his twin brother Aaron on Oct. 20, 1995.

He also studied computer science and math at New York University. He was even published in theWashington Postafter he conducted an in-depth Twitter analysis to uncover “what people craved the most in 2018” with his professor and a classmate.

In December 2023, Julian made arare public appearance with De Niroand his sister Drena at Art Basel in Miami. The trio spent the evening viewing art and taking silly family photos.

Aaron De Niro, 29

Julian’s twin brother, Aaron Kendrick, was also born on Oct. 20, 1995. Very little is known about Aaron, as he’s remained ultra-private for most of his life. In an appearance onThe Tonight Show StarringJimmy Fallon,De Niro opened up aboutraising his biracial kids.

Elliot De Niro, 26

Born on March 18, 1998, Elliot De Niro is De Niro and ex-wife Grace Hightower’s first child together. In March 2016, the actor revealed thathis son Elliot has autism.

That same year, De Niro advocated for the inclusion of the controversial documentaryVaxxedat the Tribeca Film Festival, of which he is a co-founder. “I think the movie is something that people should see. I, as a parent with a child who has autism, am concerned. I want to know the truth,” De Niro later said during an appearance on theTodayshow. “And I’m not anti-vaccine, I wantsafe vaccines.”

One of Elliot’s passions is playing tennis. In 2018, he was featured in ESPN’sSpecial Olympics: 50 Game Changersseries, honoring the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics.

“Finding things for kids to do is a hard part of the whole situation with parents of kids with special needs,” De Niro said in the episode. “[Playing tennis] helps him. He is more confident when he sees that he is actually good at this. That’s the best self-motivator anyone can have.”

Helen Grace De Niro, 13

Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic

De Niro and Hightower welcomed daughterHelen Gracevia surrogate on Dec. 23, 2011.

In 2018, De Niro and Hightowersplit after more than 20 yearstogether. However, they remain amicable as they co-parent Elliott and Helen. “I honor Grace as a wonderful mother,” De Niro said in a statement.

Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, 1

Gail Schulman/CBS via Getty

De Niro welcomed his seventh child— his first with girlfriend Tiffany Chen — daughterGia Virginia Chen-De Niro, on April 6, 2023. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 oz. However, he didn’t reveal the news of Gia’s birth until over a month later during an interview withET Canada.

When asked about his six children, the Oscar winner corrected the interviewer and said: “Seven, actually.”

On the red carpet at the N.Y.C. premiere of his filmAbout My Father, De Niro spoke toExtraabout welcoming another child at the age of 79.

“I’m ok with it.I’m good with it,” he said, adding that raising children “never gets easier” no matter what age you are.

Months later, De Niro opened up in an interview withRolling Stoneabout his plans to teach his youngestboth Chinese and English.

“[She is] half-Chinese. I want to try to teach her Chinese and show her nursery rhymes in English and Chinese,” the actor said. “I’m trying to have her learn both.”

“[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," he shared.

He also said that his older children “get a big kick” out of Gia. “The grandkids even. She’s their aunt — [and] they’re about to be teenagers!” he said.

Gia turned one in April 2024. While reflecting on this daughter’s first year of life, the actor toldEntertainment Tonightthat Gia is “pure joy.”

source: people.com