Robert De Niro is known around the world for films such as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Godfather Part II, but there is also considerable interest in his life away from the screen. Searches for robert de niro children often come from fans who want to know how many children the actor has, who their mothers are, and what his sons and daughters are doing today.
De Niro has a particularly large and multigenerational family. He is the father of seven children born across several decades, and his youngest daughter arrived when he was 79 years old. Some of his adult children have developed public careers of their own, while others have stayed largely out of the spotlight. Here is a closer look at Robert De Niro’s seven children and what reliable sources have reported about them.
How Many Children Does Robert De Niro Have?
Robert De Niro has seven children: Drena, Raphael, Julian, Airyn, Elliot, Helen Grace, and Gia Virginia. His family comes from four significant relationships. Drena and Raphael are connected to his first wife, actress Diahnne Abbott; twins Julian and Airyn are his children with actress and model Toukie Smith; Elliot and Helen Grace are from his marriage to Grace Hightower; and Gia is his daughter with Tiffany Chen.
His family is unusual partly because of the wide age range among his children. Several of De Niro’s children were already adults when Gia was born in April 2023. In fact, he is also a grandfather, meaning some of Gia’s nieces and nephews are much closer to her age than her older siblings are. Despite those generational differences, De Niro has spoken about the importance of bringing his family together.
| Child | Mother | Birth Year | Publicly Known For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drena De Niro | Diahnne Abbott | Sources differ | Actress, producer, former model |
| Raphael De Niro | Diahnne Abbott | 1976 | Real estate professional |
| Julian De Niro | Toukie Smith | 1995 | Actor |
| Airyn De Niro | Toukie Smith | 1995 | Acting, modeling and counseling interests |
| Elliot De Niro | Grace Hightower | 1998 | Mostly private life, tennis |
| Helen Grace De Niro | Grace Hightower | 2011 | Largely private |
| Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro | Tiffany Chen | 2023 | De Niro’s youngest child |
Who Are Robert De Niro’s Older Children?
Drena De Niro is Robert De Niro’s eldest child. She is Diahnne Abbott’s biological daughter from a previous relationship, and De Niro adopted her after marrying Abbott. Drena has worked in several parts of the entertainment and fashion industries, including acting, modeling, and producing. Her screen credits include appearances in films such as Joy and A Star Is Born. Major publications have reported conflicting information about her exact birth year, so it is more accurate to describe her as De Niro’s eldest child rather than present one disputed date as certain.
Raphael De Niro, born in 1976, is Robert De Niro and Diahnne Abbott’s son. Although he had some early exposure to acting, his main professional success has come in New York real estate. He has established himself as a luxury real estate broker and has children of his own. For readers looking for a detailed breakdown of the family, People’s profile of Robert De Niro’s children also provides background on the careers and family lives of his adult sons and daughters.
What Do We Know About Julian, Airyn, Elliot, and Helen Grace?
Julian and Airyn De Niro are twins born in 1995 to De Niro and Toukie Smith. Julian has pursued acting and appeared as a young Barack Obama in the television series The First Lady. He also studied computer science and mathematics at New York University, showing that his interests extend beyond entertainment. Airyn has increasingly developed a public identity of her own after spending much of her younger life away from intense celebrity attention.
Airyn publicly discussed her identity as a transgender woman in 2025 and has spoken about interests in acting, modeling, voice work, and becoming a mental health counselor. Older articles may refer to her by a previous name, but current reporting identifies her as Airyn. De Niro publicly expressed support for his daughter and later emphasized that supporting his children is central to his approach as a parent.
De Niro’s son Elliot was born in 1998 during his marriage to Grace Hightower. De Niro has previously spoken publicly about Elliot being autistic and about his interest in tennis. Elliot has generally remained much less visible than his famous father, and his relatively private lifestyle means there is limited reliable public information about his day-to-day activities.
Helen Grace De Niro was born in 2011 via surrogate and is the younger child of De Niro and Hightower. Like Elliot, she has largely been kept outside the public spotlight. That privacy is important when discussing celebrity children: there is little value in speculating about the personal lives of family members who have not chosen public careers. Reliable profiles mainly identify Helen as one of De Niro’s younger daughters and provide basic family information rather than extensive personal details.
Who Is Robert De Niro’s Youngest Daughter, Gia?
Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro is Robert De Niro’s seventh and youngest child. She was born in April 2023 to De Niro and his partner, Tiffany Chen. Her arrival attracted considerable media attention because De Niro was 79 when she was born. He initially revealed that he had become a father again while correcting an interviewer who referred to him as a father of six.
De Niro has since shared occasional glimpses of what fatherhood with a young child is like later in life. He has spoken fondly about spending time with Gia and even discussed watching children’s programs such as The Wiggles and Ms. Rachel with her. At the same time, Gia remains a young child, and De Niro and Chen have not made every aspect of her life public.
Gia also highlights the unusual age structure of the De Niro family. She has siblings who are decades older and nieces and nephews who belong to an older generation but are relatively close to her in age. De Niro has joked about the fact that his grandchildren have a very young aunt, while also indicating that having the different generations of his family together is meaningful to him.
How Does Robert De Niro Approach Fatherhood and Family Life?
Despite his decades-long Hollywood career, De Niro has generally avoided turning his children into an extension of his celebrity image. His children have taken noticeably different paths: Raphael entered real estate, Julian pursued acting and academics, Drena built a career across entertainment and fashion, Airyn has discussed creative and counseling ambitions, while Elliot and Helen have maintained comparatively private lives. That variety suggests there is no single “De Niro family career” that the children are expected to follow.
One theme De Niro has expressed publicly is support. In 2025, while discussing parenthood, he said the main responsibility is to support your children. His comments came after Airyn spoke publicly about her transition, and De Niro made clear that his love and support for her had not changed. Airyn later described receiving continued support from her father.
His experience as a father also spans very different stages of life. He has adult children with established careers, grandchildren, a teenage daughter, and a toddler. That makes the story of robert de niro children less about celebrity trivia and more about a family that has developed over nearly five decades, with each child having a distinct level of public visibility and a different relationship with the entertainment industry.
Conclusion
Robert De Niro is the father of seven children: Drena, Raphael, Julian, Airyn, Elliot, Helen Grace, and Gia Virginia. His children come from relationships with Diahnne Abbott, Toukie Smith, Grace Hightower, and Tiffany Chen, and their lives range from public careers in acting and real estate to largely private paths.
The most notable aspect of the robert de niro children story is the diversity of his family across generations. His eldest children are adults with families and careers of their own, while Gia, born in 2023, is still a young child. Although De Niro has spent most of his life in the public eye, he has generally allowed his children to choose how visible they want to be.
FAQs
How many children does Robert De Niro have?
Robert De Niro has seven children: Drena, Raphael, Julian, Airyn, Elliot, Helen Grace, and Gia Virginia.
Who is Robert De Niro’s youngest child?
His youngest child is Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, his daughter with Tiffany Chen. Gia was born in April 2023.
Who are Robert De Niro’s twins?
Julian De Niro and Airyn De Niro are twins whom Robert De Niro shares with actress and model Toukie Smith. They were born in 1995.
Is Drena De Niro Robert De Niro’s biological daughter?
No. Drena is Diahnne Abbott’s biological daughter from an earlier relationship. Robert De Niro adopted her after marrying Abbott.
