Although the news of Robert De Niro’s growing brood surprised many fans, the actor was not surprised by the arrival of his seventh child.
At the premiere of “About My Father” on Tuesday night, Page Six asked De Niro if he was surprised to be a father again at the age of 79. He responded emphatically with a “no.”
In fact, De Niro told us that the pregnancy was “planned.”
He added, “How could you not plan for that kind of thing?”
Despite having a newborn at home, the actor looked dapper in a navy blazer, striped shirt, black pants, and matching black shoes.
That same day, reps for the “Taxi Driver” star confirmed that she welcomed another baby boy, but did not reveal the name or gender of her new arrival.
They also did not reveal the identity of the child’s mother at the time. However, his much younger girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, was photographed with a baby bump last month.
The couple met in 2015 on the set of “The Intern” and were spotted on a trip to Spain the following year.
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A few years later, the martial arts instructor and De Niro were photographed celebrating his 78th birthday together in France.
In addition to his new bundle of joy, the actor shares daughter Drena, 51, whom he adopted in 1971 with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott. The exes also share a son Raphael, 46.
He is also the father of twins Aaron and Julian, 27, with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith, as well as son Elliot, 25, and daughter Helen, 11, with ex-wife Grace Hightower, whom he divorced in 2018 after more than two decades. of marriage.
Yet for all his praise as an actor, those who know De Niro say that being a father is his favorite role in real life.
“My jaw dropped when I heard she had another child,” writer Shawn Levy, author of 2014’s “De Niro: A Life,” told Page Six on Tuesday.
“I mean he’ll be 102 when the kid graduates from college. I think he is crazy. At the same time, I have to say that he is an absolutely great father. In fact, one of his signature life achievements is keeping his children and ex-partners close.”
The Oscar winner recently told ET Canada that he teeters between being “loving” and “tough” when it comes to parenting.
“I mean, there’s no getting around it with kids. I don’t like having to lay down the law and things like that. But, [sometimes] You just don’t have a choice,” he said.
“And any parent, I think, would say the same. You always want to do right by kids and give them the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes you can’t.”
Given the wide range of ages of his children, the actor added that they often “disagree with” him and “give [him] pain.”