Legendary actor Robert De Niro has been married twice but has had several girlfriends – Details on his current and past relationships are explored below.

Robert De Niro is an American actor. Known for his collaborations with Martin Scorsese, he is considered to be one of the most influential actors of his generation.

Despite his decades in the public eye, Robert De Niro‘s private life has remained relatively low-key. The actor has turned in several legendary performances in iconic films, but much less is known about his life when he’s not in front of a camera. He’s been married several times and had several children, but even some of his biggest fans don’t know much more than that. 

He welcomed his seventh child with his current partner, making her his fourth baby mama. So, who are the women the famed actor has dated before?

Robert De Niro and his current girlfriend Tiffany Chen
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES
Robert De Niro and his current girlfriend Tiffany Chen
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Who is Robert De Niro in a relationship with?

The Academy Award winner is currently dating Tiffany Chen, a martial arts instructor with a background in dance. They first sparked relationship rumors after they were first spotted together in August 2021, following his November 2018 split from ex-wife Grace Hightower.

While De Niro and Chen first sparked dating rumors with their PDA-filled outing, the pair had met years prior when filming a movie together in 2015. Chen, a martial arts instructor, had a role in the project The Intern, which starred De Niro.

Despite their various European vacations and dinner dates with each other, neither De Niro nor Chen has spoken publicly about the status of their relationship.

In May, De Niro revealed that he welcomed a seventh baby during a sit-down with ET Canada while discussing parenting and his most recent film, About My Father, but at the time, he didn’t specify with whom. However, the actor’s About My Father costar Kim Cattrall confirmed shortly after that he welcomed the child with his girlfriend Chen.

As an acclaimed martial arts professional, Chen has been highlighted in the media for her accomplishments. During an interview with Inside Kung-Fu Magazine in 2011, she opened up about the people she surrounds herself with.

“Surrounding yourself with good people creates a symbiotic relationship that makes everyone’s quality of life go up exponentially,” she previously told the outlet.

Robert De Niro and his first wife Diahnne Abbott
Robert De Niro and his first wife Diahnne Abbott
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Who are Robert De Niro’s ex-wives?

Robert has been married two times over the course of his life. His first marriage was in 1976, to actress and singer Diahnne Abbott. Throughout the ’70s and ’80s, Diahnne had a number of supporting parts in movies, including Robert vehicles like Taxi Driver and The King of Comedy. During their marriage, they had a son named Raphael, who used to be an actor and now works in real estate. Robert also adopted Diahnne’s daughter from a previous marriage. 

Robert’s marriage with Diahnne ended in 1988, and his next came almost a decade later when he married actress Grace Hightower in 1997. They had a son together in 1998 and split up just a year later. Their divorce was never finalized, though, and they renewed their vows in 2004. After over 20 years, though, it was reported in 2018 that they had split up again. Since then, Robert has been attending events solo. 

Robert De Niro and his second wife Grace Hightower.
Robert De Niro and his second wife Grace Hightower.
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

It was reported that Robert was under financial strain after Grace petitioned to get her credit card limit increased from $50,000 to $100,000 a month. Robert reportedly cut the limit because of his own financial hardship. In addition to making less than he normally would, Robert also had to pay $500,000 on a capital call. Because he didn’t have the cash, he had to borrow it. 

Robert’s lawyer said that, in the best-case scenario, he’ll make $7.5 million this year. He also criticized Grace for her own excessive spending. “These people, in spite of his robust earnings, have always spent more than he has earned so this 79-year-old robust man couldn’t retire even if he wanted to because he can’t afford to keep up with his lifestyle expense,” Caroline said. She also added that the actor would be substantially reducing his own budget. 

Robert De Niro and his ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith.
Robert De Niro and his ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith.
SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES

Robert had another significant relationship between marriages.

Although he never married her, Robert also dated model Toukie Smith for eight years from 1988 to 1996. During that time, he also had twin sons via in vitro fertilization and a surrogate mother. The twins, named Julian and Aaron, were born in 1995. In spite of his lengthy stint in the spotlight, the actor has only had a couple of serious, noteworthy relationships. 

Naomi Campbell
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Who else has Robert De Niro dated?

Robert De Niro has been in relationships with Beatrice Marot (1996), Stephanie Adams (1993), Charmaine Sinclair (1993 – 1995), Naomi Campbell (1993 – 1999), Gillian De Terville (1984), Helena Springs (1979 – 1982), Leigh Taylor-Young (1971 – 1974) and Karen Duffy.

Robert De Niro has had encounters with Dominique Simone (1995), Uma Thurman (1993), Veronica Webb (1990), Carole Mallory (1975), Moana Pozzi, and Tatiana Thumbtzen, per WhosDatedWho.