Robert De Niro’s dating history

Robert De Niro is a popular American actor, director, and film producer. He was born on August 17, 1943, in New York, United States. He had been interested in acting since he was a teenager, and at 16 he decided to quit school and start acting. He studied acting in different acting schools including HB Studio, Stella Adler Conservatory, and Lee Strasberg's Actor Studios. He started his career with minor roles in Three Rooms in Manhattan (1965) and Les Jeunes Loups (1968). He did his first major role in Greetings (1968), and he gained recognition with Bang the Drum Slowly (1973) and Mean Streets (1973).

He is best known for his powerful performances in classic films like The Godfather Part II (1974), Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990), and Casino (1995). Throughout his career, he has worked with famous directors like Martin Scorsese and has been part of many critically acclaimed films. He has been nominated for 9 Academy Award nominations, 8 BAFTA nominations, and 11 Golden Globes nominations. He has won 2 Academy Awards and 2 Golden Globes. While his professional life has always been in the public eye, his relationships have also gained public attention. Let’s take a look at some of his most notable relationships.

Diahnne Abbott

Robert De Niro's 1st wife was Diahnne Abbott. She was an American actress and singer, born on January 1, 1945. Abbott appeared in some of De Niro’s films, including Taxi Driver (1976). They both met on the sets of Taxi Driver and got married the same year the film was released. After their marriage, Robert De Niro adopted Abbott’s daughter, Drena from her past relationship. The couple welcomed their son, Raphael, in the same year of their wedding. After 12 years of marriage, they decided to part ways and got divorced in 1988.

Soukie Smith

After his divorce from Diahnne Abbott, Robert De Niro started dating Toukie Smith. She is an American actress and model born September 25, 1952. De Niro was in a long-term relationship with Toukie Smith. The couple never married but were together for about 8 years. They always kept their relationship private and did not talk about it much in public. In 1990, Soukie was asked about her relationship with De Niro by the Los Angeles Times, she said, “What’s great about a private life is it’s private.” They had twin sons, Julian and Aaron, who were born through surrogacy in 1995.

Grace Hightower

De Niro met Grace Hightower for the 1st time in 1987 when she was working at Mr. Chow. Grace is an actress and socialite who was a former flight attendant. Robert and Grace got married after he broke up with Soukie Smith. The couple got married in 1997 at their house in Marbletown, New York. The couple welcomed their son, Elliot, in 1998. However, their marriage had many ups and downs. They also filed for divorce in 1999, but soon they made up. After making up, they renewed their vows in 2004 and had a daughter, Helen, through surrogacy in 2011. After being together for many years, they finally separated in 2018.

Tiffany Chen

Robert De Niro is currently in a relationship with Tiffany Chen. Tiffany is a martial arts instructor, named competitor of the year in February 2011 by Martial Arts magazine’s Hall of Fame. The couple reportedly met in 2015 while working on a film together, Tiffany was cast as a Tai Chi instructor in the film The Intern (2015). But Robert was not separated at that point in time. Their relationship began after his split, and it became public in 2021. In 2023, De Niro and Chen welcomed a baby daughter named Gia, making De Niro a father again at the age of 79.

Also read: Robert De Niros Net Worth