Robert De Niro has just become the father of seven children. The 79-year-old actor recently announced the birth of his seventh child, joining his previous brood of six children ranging in age from 51 to 11 years.
The Oscar winner was promoting his new film, About My Father, when he was asked about his own family. When ET Canada asked about De Niro’s six children, he corrected himself, stating, “Seven, actually.” While the famously secretive actor did not reveal the gender of the kid or the identity of the woman, he did say, “I just had a baby.”
De Niro already has a 51-year-old daughter Drena and a 46-year-old son Raphael from his first marriage to Diahnne Abbott; 27-year-old twins Julian and Aaron from his ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith; and a 24-year-old son Elliot and an 11-year-old daughter Helen Grace from his actress ex-wife Grace Hightower. He also has four grandchildren.
De Niro spoke to ET Canada about his parenting approach with his children, maybe inspired by the advent of his seventh child. “There’s no getting around it with kids.” I dislike having to enforce rules and regulations. “But sometimes you just don’t have a choice,” he stated. “I believe any parent would say the same thing.” You always want to do the right thing for the kids and give them the benefit of the doubt, but you can’t always.”
So, should De Niro’s seventh child be excited to have a “cool” father? When ET Canada questioned him about whether he considered himself a “cool” father, he delivered a cool answer. “I’m OK. My kids argue with me on occasion, but they are always courteous. My 11-year-old daughter occasionally annoys me, and I battle with her. I adore her, but you know what I mean. And now that I have a child, more will come. But that’s exactly what it is.”
De Niro has been a parent for more than 51 years, and he told People in January that becoming a father changed his perspective on the world. “When you become a parent, there are certain things that you become more aware of and more sensitive about,” he explained at the time.
He must be feeling especially sensitive now that he’s a dad seven times over.