Robert De Niro Reveals the Surprisingly Simple Parenting Rule He Swears By
Robert De Niro recently shared some sound parenting advice with the world.
The legendary actor, 81, sat down for an interview with Entertainment Tonight as part of the Tribeca Film Festival, where he revealed the No. 1 rule he lives by when it comes to his seven children.
'The main thing is to support your kids,' he remarked in the interview posted on Wednesday, June 4. 'You have to support them, period. And they have to know that you support them. Always.'
The two-time Academy Award winner has plenty of experience in the fatherhood department, as he is the dad of seven children. He most recently welcomed his daughter, Gia, into the world with his partner, Tiffany Chen, in April 2023.
'She's just pure joy,' he gushed to the outlet. 'She's two now, so as they get older and older.. but it's always wonderful. Pure joy, what can I say?'
In February, De Niro appeared on BBC Radio 2's The Scott Mills Breakfast Show and gave insight into life with Gia.
'Well, I don't watch as many movies as I should. I try to watch films… I just want to keep up, but I watch current events, if you will news [and] stuff like that,' he said. 'Now I watch, with my little girl, The Wiggles and Ms. Rachel.'
While the children's entertainers are now a part of De Niro's routine, he admitted, 'I didn't know of them until I started seeing them, and my daughter loves to watch them.'
De Niro shares his seven children with four different women. He has a son, Raphael, 48, with his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, whom he married in 1976 and divorced in 1988. He also adopted Diahnne's daughter, Drena, 57, from her previous relationship. De Niro later had twins, Julian and Airyn, 29, with his girlfriend, Toukie Smith. He is also the father of Elliot, 27, and Helen, 13, from his second marriage to Grace Hightower, whom he was married to from 1997 to 2018.
In April, Airyn came out as transgender — and was met with full support by De Niro.
'I loved and supported Aaron as my son, and now I love and support Airyn as my daughter. I don't know what the big deal is,' he told People in a statement. 'I love all my children.'
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