Photo: Pete Souza / The White House, public domain License.
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Robert De Niro joined Ben Stiller and Ariana Grande on the November 8, 2026, edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to promote Focker-in-Law. The appearance reunited him with his on-screen family, while interest in his real relationships continues to produce a familiar question: who is Robert De Niro’s wife?
His current publicly identified partner is Tiffany Chen, a martial arts instructor with whom he shares daughter Gia. Chen is described in reliable recent reporting as his girlfriend or partner, not his wife. No verified announcement establishing that the couple have married was found.
De Niro has been married twice, first to actress Diahnne Abbott and later to Grace Hightower. He and Hightower announced their separation in 2018. His relationship with Chen belongs to a later chapter and should not be confused with either marriage.
The actor’s family includes seven children from four relationships. That long family history helps explain why short profiles sometimes mix former spouses with his current partner. The dates and distinctions provide a clearer account.
Who is Tiffany Chen, Robert De Niro’s current partner?
Chen is a martial artist and tai chi instructor. Her father, William C. C. Chen, is a well-known teacher of tai chi. Her professional background is in movement and martial arts rather than an established career as a Hollywood leading actress.
She and De Niro met while working on The Intern, the 2015 Nancy Meyers comedy in which she appeared as a tai chi instructor. Working on the same film establishes the beginning of their acquaintance, but it does not mean they began dating in 2015.
The pair were publicly linked romantically in 2021 after being photographed together in France. They have since attended events together, including Tribeca-related appearances and the opening gala for the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in Los Angeles on September 19, 2026.
They welcomed Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro on April 6, 2023. De Niro confirmed the arrival of his seventh child that May, and Chen subsequently discussed becoming a mother in a television interview. Their daughter is the couple’s only publicly confirmed child together.
Recent red-carpet photographs establish that they continue to appear publicly as partners. They do not establish a wedding. Until either person shares a marriage announcement or a reliable report confirms one, calling Chen his wife would go beyond the evidence.
Who were Robert De Niro’s wives, Diahnne Abbott and Grace Hightower?
De Niro married Abbott in 1976. An actress and singer, Abbott appeared in Taxi Driver, the Martin Scorsese film for which De Niro became particularly well known. Their marriage connected two performers, rather than pairing an actor with someone entirely outside the business.
He adopted her daughter Drena, and the couple also welcomed son Raphael in 1976. Drena later worked in acting, modeling and production, while Raphael became known for his New York real estate career. De Niro and Abbott divorced in 1988.
De Niro married Hightower in 1997. Their son Elliot was born the following year. The couple experienced an earlier separation before reconciling, and they renewed their vows in 2004. They welcomed daughter Helen Grace in 2011.
Their final publicly announced separation came in November 2018. Reports often describe Hightower as his former wife, but the separation date should not automatically be presented as the date a divorce was legally finalized. The two events are different.
These marriages are also separate from De Niro’s relationship with model and actress Toukie Smith. Smith was a former partner, not another wife. Their twins, Julian and Airyn, were born in 1995.
How do the relationships fit into Robert De Niro’s family life?
De Niro’s seven children are Drena, Raphael, Julian, Airyn, Elliot, Helen Grace and Gia. Abbott is the mother of Drena and Raphael; Smith was the mother of the twins; Hightower is the mother of Elliot and Helen; and Chen is Gia’s mother.
That family spans several decades, with adult children who have their own careers and younger children whose lives are more private. De Niro’s relationship with one child’s mother should not be used to describe all seven children’s circumstances.
His comments about fatherhood have generally acknowledged both affection and its challenges. He has spoken about enjoying time with his children and about learning through experience, rather than presenting himself as an infallible parent.
The central answer to the wife keyword is therefore a distinction: De Niro’s current partner is Tiffany Chen, while Abbott and Hightower are his two publicly documented spouses. The latest reliable reporting does not establish a new marriage to Chen. Maintaining that distinction avoids turning a long-term relationship into an unverified wedding story.
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