Robert De Niro, who welcomed his youngest daughter, Gia, with girlfriend Tiffany Chen, shared his perspective on parenting and the importance of unconditional support.
“The main thing is to support your kids,” De Niro told Entertainment Tonight.
“As long as they’re not hurting themselves, doing anything destructive or anything like that, you have to support them — period. Even if you don’t go with it or think that they … you have to support them. And they have to know that you support them. Always.”
Gia, now 2, has brought a fresh burst of joy into De Niro’s life.
Asked about raising a toddler at this stage in life, he responded warmly, “She’s just pure joy. She’s 2 now, so as they get older and older then… you know? But it’s always wonderful. Pure joy, what can I say?”
While De Niro admits he isn’t hands-on with diaper duty these days, he still makes time for bonding moments.
“No, no, but I used to,” he told the Sunday Times in November 2024. “I spend my mornings watching [the YouTuber for toddlers] Ms. Rachel with her, and I give her her bottle.” Reflecting on his approach to fatherhood, he added, “I try my best, that’s all. I hope they’ll be happy.”
Speaking about Chen, whom he met on the set of The Intern in 2015, De Niro acknowledged her dedication to their daughter.
“It is what it is. It’s OK. I mean, I don’t do the heavy lifting,” he said in an October 2023 interview with The Guardian.
“I’m there, I support my girlfriend. But she does the work. And we have help, which is so important.” He also noted that raising kids “doesn’t get easier” with age.
De Niro’s family includes a wide age range.
His children are Drena, 57, and Raphael, 48, with his first wife Diahnne Abbott; twins Julian and Airyn, 29, with former partner Toukie Smith; Elliot, 27, and Helen Grace, 13, with ex-wife Grace Hightower; and now Gia, his youngest.
Earlier this year, De Niro openly showed support for his daughter Airyn, who came out as transgender.
In a statement to TMZ, he shared, “I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don’t know what the big deal is…I love all my children,” he added.
