Robert De Niro’s Rumored Partner Bonds with His Autistic Son Daughter after He Fought for Them with Ex-wife

• Robert De Niro had two custody battles with his estranged wife of 20 years for his autistic son and youngest daughter.

• Robert has always remained a doting dad and said only good about his estranged wife despite her trying to get millions from him.

• Robert found family happiness at almost 80 with an alleged new woman who spent time with his kids.

Robert De Niro has enjoyed success in Hollywood for many years, but his family life was more complicated than his career in many ways. He and his estranged wife, Grace, welcomed one child together, yet they were anything but a happy family.

Grace and Robert welcomed a son together. Their son is autistic, and the pair had to pay special attention to what he needed. Their marriage was not happy, and Robert filed for divorce soon after their son was born.

Robert De Niro and wife Grace Hightower attend the Vanity Fair party for the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival at the State Supreme Courthouse on April 21, 2009 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Robert and Grace met in 1987 at a nightclub. Robert

asked

the restaurant manager to let Grace know he’d like to take her on a date. They began dating soon after and married ten years later.

They then welcomed their son, Elliot, into their family. However, when Elliot was 17 months old, Robert filed for divorce. The news shocked Grace, who thought she and her husband of two years were happy.

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Robert De Niro and son, Elliot, on Sliding Pond in Central Park, NYC on May 11, 2001 | Source: Getty Images

Friends also mentioned that the news came as a shock because Grace often said she was grateful that Robert was such a great father and that he was so good with their baby. A friend of Robert’s

said

:

“Bobby was just not working hard enough at his marriage with Grace.”

After the divorce, a child support and custody arrangement was drawn up so Grace and Robert could co-parent Elliot. It was said that Robert would be allowed to see Elliot three times a week, chaperoned by a nanny.

Robert De Niro attends the ‘Amsterdam’ World Premiere at Alice Tully Hall on September 18, 2022 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

Until June 2001, Robert and Grace managed to co-parent their son effectively. It was then that a custody battle ensued between the pair. Each of them made accusations against one another, ensuring the other couldn’t care for Elliot.

It was later revealed that while grappling with his parent’s divorce, custody battle, and bickering, Elliot was also autistic. Robert ensured that people knew that his son was autistic and that it didn’t make him any less of a person.

Grace’s Claims Shattered Calm Co-Parenting

Although Robert and Grace had managed to co-parent Elliot well for almost a year after Robert filed for divorce, claims by Grace against Robert vastly altered the pair’s views on each other and co-parenting.

Robert de Niro and his wife Grace Hightower attend a screening of “Hands Of Stone” at the annual 69th Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2016 in Cannes, France | Source: Getty Images

Grace, Elliot, and Robert were on a family yacht trip one day when Robert went below deck. Grace followed soon after and found him with another woman, who he said was helping him open and close the bathroom door.

Grace did not believe that the interaction was as innocent as Robert was making it seem, and their tumultuous custody battle started there. Grace disembarked the yacht with their son and soon after.

Robert and Grace took their frustrations with one another to court. Robert claimed that Grace had fractured his ribs after she hit him following the yacht incident. He then requested unsupervised overnight visits with his son.

obert De Niro arrives with his wife for a press conference on his late father, Robert De Niro Senior (1922-1993), painting exhibition, 18 June 2005 in “La piscine” museum in Roubaix (North of France) | Source: Getty Images

Grace fired back, saying that Robert should not have overnight visits with their son because he abused alcohol and drugs. They were then both required to undergo an evaluation under a mental health professional’s supervision.

While Robert’s friends claimed that he was an excellent dad, who would do anything possible for his son, Grace’s family and friends treated Robert much the same as Grace did. One of her friends mentioned that she wanted them all to be happy but was angry at him for his actions.

However, there was no proof for Grace’s claims against Robert, and the custody battle raged. Their situation quickly turned around, though, and they shocked their family and friends with their next move.

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Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower during Tony Bennett’s 80th Birthday Party – Inside in New York City, New York, United States | Source: Getty Images

By November 2004, Robert and Grace had

reconciled

and renewed their wedding vows. Their divorce was never finalized, and it was said that the couple was able to put aside their differences and come together once more.

Robert and Grace’s Happy Family

In 2011, with their relationship thriving once again, Robert and Grace welcomed a second child via surrogate. Their daughter, Helen, was brought into the family when Robert and Grace were private about their family life.

Robert De Niro, daughter Helen Grace, Chilina Kennedy as “Carole King” and Grace Hightower De Niro pose backstage at the hit Carole King musical “Beautiful” on Broadway at The Stephen Sondheim Theater on September 2, 2015 in New York City | Source: Getty Images

The couple did not often talk about one another and hardly ever spoke about their children. However, Robert did once talk about what parenting was like for him and Grace. He said there were good moments and bad moments.

The pair had various challenges with their children. Talking about what it was like raising two children with Grace, Robert admitted:

“Sometimes you’re the last person they want to deal with. It’s like when you walk your kids to school, and they get older, they don’t want to hold your hand or kiss you goodbye.”

In 2018, Robert once again filed for divorce, and Grace was surprised by the second divorce, too. Robert issued a statement saying that the pair were going through a transitional period and needed privacy to figure out how to co-parent their children.

Helen, who was nine at the time of the couple’s second divorce filing, was the first point of argument for them. Almost immediately after Robert filed for divorce, the couple was embroiled in another custody battle over their daughter.

Robert De Niro and wife Grace Hightower attend the ‘Once Upon A Time’ Premiere during 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival during at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2012 in Cannes, France | Source: Getty Images

However, the couple’s attention quickly turned to money and assets. Grace received large amounts of money per the couple’s prenuptial agreement. Robert had to sell his $20 million home to be able to pay Grace all the money he owed her.

Grace then attempted to receive half of Robert’s purported wealth. She was unsuccessful as Robert’s attorney confirmed that Grace was already spending too much money and putting Robert under a financial strain, so she should not have access to his wealth.

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Although the divorce proceedings began as early as 2018, the couple still has not reached final agreements in their settlement. However, Robert has not let the unfortunate situation with Grace affect him too much.

Robert is Happy At Almost 80

Grace and Robert are still involved in a bitter legal battle, but Robert seems to have found happiness in his work, his children, and his rumored new love interest, Tiffany Chen, although they have not confirmed their relationship.

Tiffany and Robert met on the “The Intern” set in 2015. However, they were not seen out together until after Robert filed for divorce from Grace. Since then, they’ve been spotted together numerous times, looking very much in love.

Tiffany even joined him on the set of another movie with his daughter, Helen. Tiffany and Helen held hands as they took a stroll near a trailer, but this was not the only time Tiffany had been seen getting close to Robert’s children.

Robert De Niro is seen doing Tai Chi on set of ‘The Intern’ in Prospect Park on September 10, 2014 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City | Source: Getty Images

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In New York, the couple was seen with all three of Robert’s children (he shares a 26-year-old son with Toukie Smith). Tiffany appears to spend much time with Robert and his children, and Robert appears to be happy.

Although Robert is almost 80 and still stuck in the midst of torturous divorce proceedings with Grace, it seems that he has found happiness with Tiffany, who has also become close with his children.