Washington [US]: Hollywood star Robert De Niro, recently revealed that he has welcomed his 7th child at the age of 79.
The ‘Godfather’ actor did not reveal any more deets about his seventh child and his current partner. According to People Magazine, in a sitdown with ET Canada, the 79-year-old Oscar winner revealed that he has welcomed a seventh baby while discussing parenting and his most recent film, ‘About My Father’.
“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 explained. “And any parent, I think, would say the same thing. You always want to do the right thing by the children and give them the benefit of the doubt but sometimes you can’t.”
When the interviewer asked the actor about his six children, he corrected, “Seven, actually,” reported People Magazine.
“I just had a baby,” he said though he didn’t provide any further details about the newest family member or the partner he welcomed baby No. 7 with.
Soon after the news about his 7th child was out, social media was flooded with mixed reactions.
Some of the fans congratulated the Oscar-winning actor, while some of them trolled him.
“Robert De Niro still putting it down at 79,” a user wrote.
Another user wrote, “Wow. That’s impressive.”
“This one is disappointing Robert,” a user commented.
Another user commented, “A legend doing legendary things.”
Now a grandfather, De Niro has said that the best thing a parent or grandparent can do is push their kids to reach 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, “as per People.
The actor added, “It’s important for them to find their own lane.”
The Academy Award winner has six children from his past relationships.
De Niro and his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, are parents to daughter Drena, 51, and son Raphael, 46.
He met his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, while filming ‘Taxi Driver’, in which Diahnne played the role of a ticket taker at a theatre visited by Travis Bickle in the 1976 classic. The duo tied the knot on April 28, 1976.
The couple welcomed son Raphael the same year, and De Niro adopted Abbott’s daughter from a previous relationship, Drena. Despite his divorce from Abbott in 1988, the Oscar winner maintained a strong relationship with his adoptive daughter.
Drena made Robert a grandfather in 2003 when she and then-boyfriend Carlos Rodriguez welcomed son Leandro, reported Page Six.
After his divorce from Abbott, he started dating model and actress Toukie Smith between 1988 and 1996.
In the year 1995, the duo welcomed twin sons Julian and Aaron, 27.
De Niro then tied the knot with actor and singer Grace Hightower in 1997 and they had a son named Elliot in 1998.
The Golden Globe winner shared Elliot’s autism diagnosis in 2016. While Robert has clarified that he is not “anti-vaccine,” he said in 2017 that “something is not right” with the process, as per Page Six.
Elliot is best known for his accomplishments as a tennis player in the Special Olympics.
De Niro and Hightower welcomed their second child, daughter Helen, who was born via surrogate in December 2011.
The former couple, who have kept their youngest child out of the spotlight, called off in 2018 after more than two decades of togetherness.
“We are entering a period of transition in our relationship which is a difficult but constructive process,” De Niro wrote in a statement at the time. “I honor Grace as a wonderful mother and ask for privacy … as we proceed to develop our roles as partners in parenting,” reported Page Six.
De Niro, one of Hollywood’s most recognisable movie actors, won the Academy Awards for best-supporting actor and best actor for the films “The Godfather Part II” and “Raging Bull,” respectively. He has had nominations for seven acting Academy Awards overall, and he co-starred in and produced the film ‘The Irishman,’ which received a nomination for best picture.
De Niro has gotten numerous Emmy nominations for his work on the small screen, including one for outstanding actor in a TV movie or limited series for the HBO film “Wizard of Lies,” in which he played Bernie Madoff.
