Looking at younger pictures of Robert De Niro will make you instantly understand why he managed to date all these beautiful ladies in the past.
Indeed, he’s such a gorgeous man with an incredible talent for acting. Add that to the fact that he mostly plays the role of an Italian mafioso in films, Robert is undoubtedly the man of every girl’s dream.
However, has Robert ever tied the knot to a woman before? And if so, who is she? Did things work out between them and the legendary Hollywood actor? Let’s find out.
Robert De Niro Had Two Failed Marriages
Robert is just another actor in Hollywood’s long list of celebrities who has been married more than once.
His first marriage happened in 1976 to American actress Diahnne Abbott when they were both in their thirties. Then, his second marriage was to Grace Hightower in 1997.
His relationship with his ex-wives was well-documented as both women were public figures. That is why if you’re interested in knowing more about their relationships, keep reading!
Robert De Niro’s First Wife: Diahnne Abbott
The film Taxi Driver is possibly one of Robert’s best movie projects he has ever done throughout his career. However, unbeknownst to most people, it is also the movie that paved the way for him to meet his first wife: Diahnne Abbott. The two met on the set and started to develop feelings for each other.
Soon after, the pair exchanged their wedding vows in 1976. After that, they kept their relationship relatively private and did everything in their power to keep the media out of their lives.
Still, that doesn’t mean they do not go out in public together. In fact, Robert and Diahnne have been captured attending red carpet events together.
Sadly, after nearly 15 years of being together, Robert and Diahnne got divorced. They’ve only had one biological child together named Raphael De Niro, while Robert adopted Diahnne’s daughter Drena from a previous relationship.
The reasons for their split is uncertain as Diahnne has remained out of the limelight for good since the divorce.
However, rumor has it that Robert has been unfaithful throughout their relationship, which ultimately caused them to break up. Here’s a list of all the rumored third parties of Robert De Niro during his relationship with Diahnne:
- Carole Mallory
- Sally Kirkland
- Barbara Carrera
- Helena Springs
- Bette Midler
- Gillian De Treville
- Charlotte Lewis
Robert De Niro’s Second Wife: Grace Hightower
Unlike Robert’s love story with his first wife, things between him and Grace took a much slower pace. They first met in 1987 at a London nightclub.
They remained friends and began dating other people. That is, until, in the late 90s, Robert took their friendship to the next level by dating her. And by 1997, the two finally got married.
A year after their wedding, Robert and Grace welcomed their first son together named Elliot. Just when everyone believed Robert and Grace were in it for a happily ever after, news broke out that the actor filed for a divorce. That was when the couple got into a pretty messy custody battle.
Interestingly, the couple never finalized their divorce. In 2004, Robert and Grace decided to give their relationship a second chance and renewed their vows. A few years after that, the couple welcomed their second child together via a surrogate, whom they named Helen.
Unfortunately, things took another sharp turn in their relationship as Robert filed for divorce once again in 2018 – after over 20 years of living together. This time, however, the root of their split seems to be Grace’s high-maintenance lifestyle. De Niro’s lawyer said in a statement:
“Mr. De Niro is 77 years old, and while he loves his craft, he should not be forced to work at this prodigious pace because he has to. When does that stop? When does he get the opportunity to not take every project that comes along and not work six-day weeks, 12-hour days so he can keep pace with Ms. Hightower’s thirst for Stella McCartney?”
Well, it seems pretty certain for now that Robert and Grace are done with each other for good.
Curious to know whether or not Robert De Niro is back in the dating business? Check out this article to learn more about his rumored new girlfriend!
