Robert De Niro is a legend. You know the face, the "You talkin' to me?" snarl, and that unmistakable squint. But lately, people are less interested in his latest Scorsese collaboration and way more curious about who’s sitting next to him on the red carpet. If you’ve been searching for the name of Robert De Niro's wife, you’re actually hitting a bit of a snag.
He doesn't have one. Not right now.
It’s a common mix-up. People see him with the same woman at the White House, at Cannes, and out for dinner in Santa Monica and just assume they’ve tied the knot. Honestly, given how long he’s been in the public eye, it’s easy to lose track of the marriage count.
The Woman by His Side: Tiffany Chen
The person everyone is asking about is Tiffany Chen. She isn't his wife, but she is his partner and the mother of his seventh child. They’ve been together for a while now, likely starting somewhere around 2021, though they actually met way back in 2015.
They met on the set of The Intern. Remember that scene where De Niro’s character is doing Tai Chi in the park? That wasn't just some random extra helping him out. That was Tiffany. She’s a legit martial arts powerhouse. We aren't talking about someone who just takes a class on weekends; she’s the daughter of Grandmaster William C.C. Chen. By the time she was 26, she was already in the Inside Kung-Fu Hall of Fame.
She's basically a world-class athlete who happened to transition into Hollywood circles.
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A Surprise Arrival
The world went a little crazy in May 2023. De Niro was doing an interview with ET Canada to promote About My Father when the interviewer mentioned his six children. He corrected them. "Seven, actually," he said. "I just had a baby."
That baby is Gia Virginia Chen De Niro.
Tiffany gave birth to Gia in April 2023. At the time, De Niro was 79. It sparked a massive conversation about older fatherhood—especially since his buddy Al Pacino had a baby around the same time—but De Niro has been pretty candid about the reality of it. He told The Guardian that he doesn't do the "heavy lifting" and that Tiffany does the bulk of the work. He’s there for support, sure, but he’s not pretending to be the primary diaper-changer at 82 years old.
The Health Scare Nobody Expected
Not long after Gia was born, things got scary for Tiffany. She opened up to Gayle King on CBS Mornings about a postpartum complication that rarely gets talked about in the headlines: Bell’s palsy.
It started with a weird feeling in her tongue. Then her face started "melting" on itself. It’s a condition that causes facial paralysis, and it’s actually three times more likely to hit pregnant or postpartum women. She was brave enough to show the world what that looked like, which honestly added a layer of relatability to a couple that usually keeps their private life behind a very thick curtain.
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The Ex-Wives: Who Came Before?
To understand why the question of "who is Robert De Niro's wife" is so complicated, you have to look at the two women who actually held the title.
Diahnne Abbott (1976–1988)
His first wife was an actress and singer. They met on the set of Taxi Driver. During their twelve-year marriage, they had a son named Raphael. De Niro also adopted Diahnne’s daughter, Drena, from a previous relationship. Even though they split in the late '80s, they’ve stayed in each other's orbits as co-parents for decades.
Grace Hightower (1997–2018)
This was the long one. Twenty-one years. They met in London at a nightclub called Mr. Chow’s. Their relationship was a bit of a rollercoaster—they actually split up in 1999, just two years after marrying, but never finalized it. Instead, they renewed their vows in 2004 in front of a star-studded crowd that included Meryl Streep and Ben Stiller. They have two kids: Elliot and Helen Grace.
The final split in 2018 was messy. There were reports about money, lifestyle differences, and the general strain of a two-decade marriage under the Hollywood microscope. Since then, De Niro hasn't walked down the aisle again.
Is Marriage on the Horizon?
Currently, there’s no official word on whether De Niro and Tiffany Chen plan to marry. They seem perfectly content living together in Los Angeles. They’ve been seen at high-profile events, like the 2024 White House State Dinner and the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, where De Niro received an honorary Palme d’Or.
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They look happy. They have 15 dogs—yes, 15—which came out during a legal battle with a former assistant. That alone is enough to keep anyone busy, marriage license or not.
The age gap is often brought up—she’s roughly 35 years younger than him—but by all accounts from those close to them, she’s a steadying force in his life.
What This Means for Fans
If you’re looking for the "wife" of Robert De Niro, you're looking for a title that doesn't currently exist. But if you’re looking for his partner, it’s Tiffany Chen.
Key Takeaways for the Curious:
- Current Status: Robert De Niro is not married. He is in a long-term relationship with Tiffany Chen.
- The Family Tree: He has seven children total, ranging from their 50s down to a toddler.
- Heritage Matters: De Niro has mentioned he wants his youngest, Gia, to be bilingual in English and Chinese to honor Tiffany’s heritage.
- Public Appearances: Expect to see them together at major film festivals and awards ceremonies; they are no longer "rumored," but very much an official couple.
If you’re following the news, don’t get tripped up by old Wikipedia entries or tabloid headers using "wife" as a shorthand. In 2026, the status remains: committed partners, co-parents, and dog enthusiasts.
To stay truly updated on the De Niro clan, keep an eye on his production company’s news or major festival appearances, as that’s usually where he lets the most information slip about his notoriously private home life.