The famous actor revealed that he recently became a dad again during a promotional interview for his upcoming film ‘About My Father.‘
Robert De Niro is considered to be one of the best actors of his generation; this is warranted praise considering the scope and success of his works.
The industry veteran is best known for his iconic role as Vito Corleone in the Godfather Part II. However, he’s showcased the breadth of his acting skills through his performances in a wide range of film genres.
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From comedies like Meet the Fockers to fantasy films like Stardust, De Niro has breathed life into each part he plays.
Now, it seems like the 79-year-old will be reprising his role as a father in real life. During a recent interview with ET Canada to promote his film About My Father (which centers on a man and his immigrant Italian dad), the star revealed that he recently welcomed a new child into the family.
The actor gently corrected the interviewer, who mentioned that he had six children.
“Seven, actually,” he stated. “I just had a baby.”
A Growing Family
The Oscar-winner has six children from previous relationships, but didn’t reveal who the mother of the seventh child is.
De Niro was previously married to American singer and actress Diahnne Abbott from 1976 to 1988. They have two children together—Drena (51) and Raphael (46).
He then had two more children in 1995, twins Julian and Aaron (27), with his former girlfriend Toukie Smith.
His last two children from the group of six include Elliot (25) and Helen Grace (11), whom he had with his philanthropist ex-wife Grace Hightower.
When asked what it was like to be a father of six, De Niro replied: “I don’t think I’ve ever been a cool father. I’m OK. My kids disagree with me at times, they’re respectful.”
De Niro described himself as a loving yet “stern” father and grandfather, though he’d prefer not to be.
“I mean, there’s no way around it with kids. I don’t like to have to lay down the law and stuff like that. But you just have no choice,” he shared. “You always want to do the right thing by the children and give them the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes you can’t.”
Despite the challenges of parenthood, De Niro seemed altogether happy to welcome a new member to his clan. He went on to discuss his relationship with his youngest daughter, Helen. “She gives me grief sometimes and I argue with her and adore her. With my youngest now there will be more to come but that’s, you know—that’s what it is.”
Banner photo by Rhododendrites via Wikimedia Commons.
