Robert de Niro Shared First Photo of 7th Baby at 79, Claimed It Was ‘Planned,’ Leaving Fans Divided

Robert De Niro, 79, revealed he had welcomed his seventh child. The actor, who has been married twice, has two children with his first wife, Diahnne Abbott.

De Niro and his second wife, Grace Hightower, have two children together too. De Niro is also a father to twin sons who he had with his former girlfriend, Toukie Smith.

The “The Godfather” star, who said he doesn’t consider himself a “cool dad,” has a child who is less than a month old. He confirmed that he and his girlfriend, Tiffany Chen had a newborn baby together.

De Niro’s girlfriend, who is believed to be 45, was seen with a baby bump in March, and she was spotted with the couple’s newborn as she took a walk in New York.

The newborn, dressed in a pink onesie and wrapped in a white blanket, was spotted with Chen, who was pushing the stroller as they enjoyed the sun. She also lifted the baby out of the stroller and cuddled the newborn to her chest for a better part of the day.

Chen and her newborn, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, looked well and healthy, and the mother appeared happy to hold the baby and take a stroll with her.

Following De Niro’s revelation that he had welcomed a seventh child, his “About My Father” co-star Kim Catrall congratulated the couple:

“God bless him, his significant other. Tiffany is such a beautiful woman. She came to the set once with her family and watched the filming, and she was gorgeous and sweet. I’m happy for both of them.”

De Niro’s other costar in “About My Father,” Sebastian Maniscalco, said he was happy for the father of seven and noted that De Niro was an individual who liked to spend time with his family.

De Niro Revealed His Feelings about His Seventh Child

De Niro said that becoming a father again at 79 did not surprise him because he and Chen had actually “planned” the pregnancy. He said that it was impossible for him not to have a baby without planning for it.

“The Intern” star told Gayle King on “CBS Mornings” that he was looking forward to being a father again. King also revealed that De Niro said his daughter was “brought here by love” and that the actor was “very psyched and very excited about it.”

People have noted that it would have been better if De Niro had a vasectomy.

The actor told King that Gia was born on April 6, 2023, weighing 8 pounds and 6 ounces. He also shared a lovely picture of his daughter for the first time.

De Niro noted that as much as he was doing fatherhood for the seventh time, parenting never got easier for him. He added that his love language includes being in love with his kids but also being strict about some things.

De Niro doesn’t like being stern with his kids, but he is sometimes forced to lay down the law even though his children can respectfully disagree with him. He added

“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.”

The actor, who also has an 11-year-old daughter he adores, named his newborn daughter after his mother, Virginia De Niro.

Who Is the Mother of De Niro’s Newborn

Chen, a martial arts instructor, met De Niro in 2015 when they worked together in the film “The Intern,” which the actor starred in.

However, De Niro was first spotted with his girlfriend, Chen, in August 2021 after the actor split with his second wife, Hightower, in November 2018.

The two sparked dating rumors when they were spotted showing each other affection in public. The pair were seen vacationing in the south of France with a group of friends on a luxury yacht. They were later photographed kissing on the boat.

Chen is a professional martial arts instructor who is well-recognized in the industry. She had been featured in the media for her accomplishments, including an interview with Inside Kung-Fu Magazine in 2011.

In this interview, Chen spoke out about the people she loves associating herself with and creating connections with:

“Surrounding yourself with good people creates a symbiotic relationship that makes everyone’s quality of life go up exponentially.”

Chen bagged gold medals and world titles as a martial arts instructor. She was born into a kung-fu family as she is the daughter of Grandmaster William C.C. Chen. At the age of 16, she entered her first push-hands competition. She noted:

“I never practiced tai chi with the intention of looking to fight. I learned the form, I learned some push hands, and then I started competing in push hands.”

Chen has always been athletic, engaging in swimming and gymnastics at the age of five. She also dances ballet and hula. At the age of 8, she took up figure skating and won three gold medals in a regional competition when she was 11.

In March 2023, De Niro and his girlfriend were photographed together leaving the restaurant Giorgio Baldi in Santa Monica. The two were with De Niro’s friends Harvey Keitel and Billy Crystal.

An eyewitness who saw the couple in the establishment said the two sat next to each other. “…they looked happy together. He was attentive and sweet to her,” the eyewitness added.

Chen is also said to be supportive of De Niro’s career. When the actor was shooting “Wise Guys,” an insider revealed Chen would visit De Niro. “Tiffany seemed supportive, and he seemed excited to have her around,” the insider noted.

A source also revealed that Chen and De Niro live together in Los Angeles, where the actor keeps a busy work schedule.

Fans’ Divided Reaction about De Niro Being a Father Again

When news broke that De Niro was a father again at 79, many people had a lot to say, considering the actor is in his older years.

Shelley Horton, an opinion columnist for Honey, said it was not okay for De Niro to have a baby in his old age. Horton pointed out that De Niro had once even said having a baby in his older years was not an option; his exact words being:

“I don’t think it’s responsible, at my age, to have more children. I’m going to be 70 years old, and they’ll be dealing with the things that people deal with at that age.”

The actor appears to have changed his mind as he has just welcomed his seventh child. However, people weren’t too kind with their reactions, deeming him selfish. One thinks it’s “sick” for the actor to welcome a child at his age, while another believes it would be better if De Niro had a vasectomy.

Another person said it was a “shame” that De Niro’s child would spend most of her life without her father. “Just because you can… doesn’t mean you should,” a fan argued. However, some fans came to De Niro’s defense and said:

“I think he can make the decision to have a child if he wants. He’s got the money, and sounds like a lovely girlfriend! They are both adults! Who cares! No one tells you how to live your life!

More fans who supported De Niro’s decision to have a child at 79 said it was okay for him to do so because he had money to support the mother and child for the rest of their lives. “God bless them forever,” the Fan added.

A fan also said De Niro was allowed to have more children because it was possible he would live to 100, which will be enough years for him to see his child grow up. “Congratulations #legend Robert De Niro & Tiffany Chen on ur new daughter,” the person said. Another fan was excited to see De Niro’s child and said she was “adorable.”

Regardless of all the noise surrounding De Niro’s fatherhood, no one can keep him from beaming with pride when he talks about his newborn daughter and Chen.