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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Sian Hewitt

Who is Tiffany Chen, Robert De Niro’s rumoured girlfriend?

Robert De Niro has just announced he has had a seventh child — but no one is sure who the mother is.

The two-time Academy Award winner, 79, has reportedly been dating a tai chi instructor called Tiffany Chen for the last few years, prompting speculation that it might be her.

The pair first sparked dating rumours in August 2021 when they were spotted enjoying each other’s company.

Here is everything we know about Tiffany Chen.

Who is Tiffany Chen?

Tiffany Chen is a professional martial artist and tai chi instructor.

Fighting is in her blood, too, as she was born into a kung-fu family and is the daughter of tai chi Grandmaster William C.C. Chen.

She once told Inside Kung-Fu magazine: “I never practised tai chi with the intention of looking to fight. I learned the form, I learned some push hands and then I started competing in push hands. My plan has always been to learn how to be as great as my father.”

People magazine reported that Chen also developed an interest in dance, including ballet and hula, at a young age.

She also took up swimming and gymnastics aged five, according to the biography on her website.

Chen began figure skating aged eight and won three gold medals in a regional competition three years later. People says that in an attempt to perfect her craft, she began ballroom dancing classes but quickly learned that tai chi was key to improving her form.

Where did Robert De Niro and Tiffany Chen meet?

De Niro and Chen are believed to have first met while working on the legendary actor’s 2015 film The Intern. Chen played a martial arts instructor in the movie, which also starred Anne Hathaway and Rene Russo.

You can see pictures of De Niro, the star of famous films such as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, and Chen practising tai chi together on her father’s website.

An August 2021 photo of them holding hands while holidaying in the south of France sparked rumours of their relationship. They were seen walking closely together as they boarded a luxury yacht with a group of friends.

The Daily Mail published photos of the pair kissing on the boat. It reported that this belonged to De Niro’s billionaire business partner James Packer.

The pair have been seen several times since then, enjoying apparent dates and holidays. However, they had not confirmed their reported relationship at the time of writing.

Has Robert De Niro been married before?

De Niro married actress Diahnne Abbott in 1976. They have a son, Raphael, 46, a former actor who works in New York real estate.

De Niro also adopted Abbott’s daughter Drena De Niro, now 51, from a previous relationship. He and Abbott divorced in 1988.

De Niro dated model Toukie Smith between 1988 and 1996. They have twin sons, Julian and Aaron, 27, who were conceived by in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and delivered by a surrogate mother in 1995.

De Niro married actress Grace Hightower in 1997, before divorcing in November 2018.

He had a son, Elliot, 25, and daughter, Helen, 11, with her.

De Niro also has four grandchildren; one from his daughter Drena, and three from his son Raphael.

How old is Robert De Niro’s seventh baby?

Nobody knows exactly but it is thought the baby is a newborn. National World reported how Chen had been seen in March sporting a baby bump.

De Niro shocked the world with the revelation of his fatherhood in a recent interview with ET Canada about his upcoming film About My Father.

Asked about being a father of six, he corrected the reporter, saying: “Seven, actually … I just had a baby.”

Representatives for De Niro later confirmed the news to the PA news agency.

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