Robert De Niro has opened up about parenting seven children and divulged his number one rule as he raises his two-year-old daughter alongside girlfriend Tiffany Chen.
“The main thing is to support your kids. As long as they’re not hurting themselves, doing anything destructive or anything like that, you have to support them — period,” the 81-year-old told Entertainment Tonight.
“Even if you don’t go with it or think that they … you have to support them. And they have to know that you support them. Always.”
The Taxi Driver actor also gave an update on how his toddler is currently doing. “She’s just pure joy,” he said after being asked what it’s like to raise a child at his stage in life. “She’s two now, so as they get older and older then… you know? But it’s always wonderful. Pure joy, what can I say?”
De Niro previously spoke about parenting Gia in a January interview with The Sunday Times. Though both he and Chen share parenting duties, he admitted to not changing her diapers.
“No, no, but I used to,” the Goodfellas actor told the publication about diaper-changing.
De Niro hastened to add that because he’s an “early riser,” he’s used the extra time to be with the toddler.
“I spend my mornings watching [the YouTuber for toddlers] Ms Rachel with her, and I give her her bottle,” he said.
In addition to Gia, De Niro is the father of six other children from previous relationships. The actor and his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, share one daughter, Drena, 57, and one son, Raphael, 48. In 1995, he welcomed his twins, Julian and Airyn, 29, with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith. He also shares his 26-year-old son, Elliot, and 12-year-old daughter, Helen Grace, with ex-wife Grace Hightower.
At one point during the interview, the actor was asked how all of his children would describe him as a father and parent, and he answered that each of them would likely give a different answer.
“Oh God, they would all have a different answer. Family is so complex,” he said while adding that he hopes his children know that he tried his best.
“I try my best, that’s all. I hope they’ll be happy,” De Niro said.
The Irishman actor has also spoken about Gia back in January 2024, during an interview with AARP. At the time, he said that “it feels great” to become a new father again at his age.
