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Robert De Niro says his girlfriend “does the heavy lifting” with their new baby

By Stephen Iervolino Oct 17, 2023 | 4:00 PM
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

At 80 years old, one might not blame Robert De Niro for not doing much heavy lifting.

However, that’s just what the legendary actor said about fatherhood with his seventh child, Gia Virginia, whom he welcomed in April with girlfriend Tiffany Chen.

“It doesn’t get easier,” he tells The Guardian about being a dad. “It is what it is.”

He adds, “It’s OK. I mean, I don’t do the heavy lifting. I’m there, I support my girlfriend. But she does the work. And we have help, which is so important.”

The actor says of raising his seven children, “You never know what’s going to happen. They surprise you.”

That said, De Niro “of course” enjoys being a dad. “All of it!” he enthused when asked for specifics.

“With a baby it’s different [than] with my 11-year-old. My adult children. My grandchildren. It’s all different,” he adds.

De Niro, who has been married twice, has a 52-year-old daughter, Drena, and a 46-year-old son, Raphael, with first wife Diahnne Abbott, and a 25-year-old son, Elliot, and 11-year-old daughter, Helen, with his other ex-wife, Grace Hightower.

De Niro is also a dad to 27-year-old twin sons Aaron and Julian with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith.

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