At 82 years old, Robert De Niro is doing something most men his age never attempt — raising a toddler while simultaneously supporting adult children through some of life’s most defining moments. The dramatic span of robert de niro children ages — stretching from 57 all the way down to 2 — makes his family story one of the most extraordinary in Hollywood history. Seven kids. Five relationships. Five decades. And a father who keeps showing up for all of them.
Whether he’s watching children’s programming with his youngest on a lazy afternoon or walking a red carpet at Cannes with a teenage daughter by his side, De Niro has made it abundantly clear that fatherhood is not just a chapter in his life — it’s the whole book.
🎬 Curious which of De Niro’s kids followed him into Hollywood — and which one just made headlines in 2025? Keep reading.
How Did De Niro End Up With Seven Children?
De Niro’s path to fatherhood was anything but conventional. He became a father for the first time in 1976 through his marriage to Diahnne Abbott. He adopted her daughter Drena and welcomed a biological son, Raphael, during their marriage, which lasted until 1988.
After his divorce from Abbott, he entered a relationship with model Toukie Smith that lasted until 1996. During that time, the couple had twins — Julian and Airyn — born via surrogate in October 1995 after being conceived through in vitro fertilization.
De Niro then married actress Grace Hightower in 1997. Together they had two children: son Elliot, born in 1998, and daughter Helen Grace, born via surrogate in December 2011. The couple divorced in 2018.
His seventh child, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, was born in April 2023 with his current girlfriend, Tiffany Chen. That surprise announcement — quietly dropped in an interview when a reporter counted only six children and De Niro corrected her — sent headlines flying around the world.
Drena De Niro, Age 57 — The Eldest and a Hollywood Force
Drena is the oldest of De Niro’s children, born in 1967 and adopted by him during his marriage to Diahnne Abbott. She has built a respected career in Hollywood as both an actress and model, appearing in notable films including A Star Is Born, Joy, and When They See Us.
Her life took a devastating turn in 2023 when her 19-year-old son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, died of an accidental drug overdose. The loss was a gut punch to the entire family. De Niro has spoken openly about the heartbreak, and justice has since been pursued — by late 2025, five men had been arrested and charged in connection with providing the drugs that led to Leandro’s death.
Raphael De Niro, Age 48 — The Businessman of the Family
Born in November 1976, Raphael is De Niro’s eldest biological son. He stepped away from acting relatively early and built a thriving real estate career in New York City, reportedly working with high-profile clients. He keeps a deliberately low profile and is rarely seen in the public eye.
Julian De Niro, Age 29 — The Actor Twin
Julian was born on October 20, 1995, alongside his twin sister Airyn. He has carved out his own path in entertainment, earning recognition for his portrayal of a young Barack Obama in Showtime’s The First Lady. Like most of De Niro’s children, Julian prefers life away from unnecessary spotlight.
Airyn De Niro, Age 29 — Making History in 2025
Airyn’s story dominated headlines in the spring of 2025 when she came out publicly as a transgender woman. She gave a deeply personal interview detailing her journey, her identity, and the role Black women played in inspiring her transition. She also spoke about how her father responded.
De Niro’s reaction was both swift and unwavering. He told a major entertainment publication that he loved and supported Aaron as his son and now loves and supports Airyn as his daughter. “I don’t know what the big deal is,” he said. “I love all my children.” Airyn publicly credited her father’s acceptance as one of the most meaningful parts of her journey, saying his support had been “nonstop.”
Airyn has also worked in the film industry behind the scenes and is building her own career as an actress.
Elliot De Niro, Age 27 — Quietly Inspiring
Elliot was born in March 1998 and has largely lived his life away from the public. De Niro revealed in 2016 that Elliot is on the autism spectrum, and has since spoken about his son’s growth and passion for tennis. De Niro described watching Elliot gain confidence through sport as one of the most rewarding experiences of his parenting journey. “He is more confident when he sees that he is actually good at this,” De Niro said. “That’s the best self-motivator anyone can have.”
In 2024, De Niro starred in Ezra, a film about a father navigating life with an autistic son. He said he took the role in part because it mirrored real experiences from his own life.
Helen Grace De Niro, Age 13 — A Rare Red Carpet Appearance
Helen Grace was born via surrogate in December 2011 and is one of the more private members of the De Niro family. That changed briefly in May 2025, when she accompanied her father and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, to the Cannes Film Festival’s opening ceremony. The appearance offered a rare public glimpse of the teenager, walking beside her father as he received the Honorary Palme d’Or — one of the most prestigious honors in cinema.
Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, Age 2 — The Toddler Stealing Everyone’s Hearts
Born on April 6, 2023, Gia is De Niro’s youngest child and, by nearly every account, the one currently running the household. De Niro has been refreshingly candid about his life as an 82-year-old father of a toddler.
He admitted in early 2025 that he watches far fewer films than he used to — because Gia keeps the TV tuned to The Wiggles and Ms. Rachel. “They have a lot of energy,” he said with obvious amusement. He called fatherhood at his age “wondrous,” noting that everything else in his world fades away the moment he looks at her.
In June 2025, he was spotted taking Gia to a live Wiggles performance in New York City — a moment that went viral and reminded the world that Hollywood’s toughest guys sometimes spend their weekends at children’s concerts.
A Legend on Screen, A Father at Heart
The story of robert de niro children ages is ultimately a story about a man who never stopped growing. De Niro has navigated fatherhood across five decades, three marriages, one long-term relationship, adoption, surrogacy, loss, autism, and a very public gender transition — all while delivering some of the greatest performances in cinematic history.
In May 2025, he received the Honorary Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, a tribute to more than 50 years in film. He walked that red carpet with Tiffany Chen and his teenage daughter Helen at his side. The image captured everything at once — the legend, the father, and the man still very much in motion.
He summed up his own evolution as a parent simply: “When you’re older, you have awareness of certain things in life. You can’t avoid learning some things, and then how you can deal with those, manage them.”
With seven children spanning robert de niro children ages from toddlerhood to near-60, he is, without question, still learning — and still showing up.
Drop a comment below and tell us which of De Niro’s kids surprised you the most — and follow along for more updates on Hollywood’s most fascinating families.
