Robert De Niro talks about being a father at 80
Hollywood stalwart Robert De Niro recently shared his thoughts on being an 80-year-old father to his infant daughter Gia. Talking to AARP The Magazine, De Niro gushed, "I'm an 80-year-old dad and it's great. Everything that I'm consumed with or worried about or this and that just goes away when I look at her. So that in itself, is, you know, wondrous." The actor hoped to be around Gia for as long as he could to cherish her company.
Gia's birth and bilingual upbringing
De Niro's youngest daughter was born on April 6, 2023, as Gia Virginia Chen De Niro. She's his daughter with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen. He announced her birth during an ET Canada interview in May 2023. Talking to Rolling Stone, he mentioned that they want their daughter to speak two languages. "[She is] half-Chinese. I want to try to teach her Chinese and show her nursery rhymes in English and Chinese. I'm trying to have her learn both," he said.
Meet the other children of De Niro
Besides Gia, the Killers of the Flower Moon actor has six other children from past relationships. His eldest children, Drena De Niro (52) and Raphael De Niro (47) are with former wife Diahnne Abbott; twin sons Julian De Niro and Aaron De Niro (28) with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith; and Elliot De Niro (25) and Helen Grace De Niro (12) with previous spouse Grace Hightower.
De Niro on his evolving approach to fatherhood
De Niro admitted that his parenting style has evolved over the years. In an old interview, he said, "When you're older, you have awareness of certain things in life - dynamics, everything, family dynamics. You can't avoid learning certain things and how you can deal with those and manage them and this and that, the usual." In another interview, he also commended his girlfriend for her role in raising Gia.
The bond he shares with his children
The actor has often spoken about his strong emotional bond with his children. Talking about Gia's attentive nature, he said, "She has a very sweet way of looking at you and just taking you in... I don't know where it's gonna go later when she gets older, but she's thinking, she's observing everything and watching, really interesting." He also shared his experiences with his other children, mentioning that they sometimes disagree with him but remain respectful.
