Helen Grace De Niro is the youngest daughter of iconic Academy Award-winning actor Robert De Niro whom he shares with his second wife, Grace Hightower. They welcomed Helen on December 23, 2011. But what’s so special about Helen?
Helen Grace De Niro is the legendary actor’s third child, and a surrogate delivered her. But, until today, there is no single information about her surrogate mother on the internet. Here’s a look at the life of Helen Grace de Niro.
Who Are Helen Grace de Niro’s Parents?
Robert De Niro married actress Grace Hightower in 1997. The union produced a son called Elliot and Helen Grace de Niro. Helen’s parents had a tumultuous marriage, and they filed for divorce two years into their union. Although the divorce failed, the couple eventually divorced in 2018 after 20 years of marriage.
Robert De Niro has been married severally, but he remains unmarried. Before Hightower, he was married to actress Diahnne Abbott with whom he has a son who is also a former actor. He also adopted Abbott’s daughter from a past relationship, Drena De Niro.
After his divorce from Abbott in 1988, he dated a model named Toukie Smith between 1988 and 1996. Robert has twin sons with her, Julian and Aaron. However, they were his first set of kids to be conceived by in vitro fertilization and delivered by a surrogate mother.
What Do We Know About Robert De Niro’s Career?
Helen’s father, Robert de Niro, is also recognized as a businessman. He has pursued several business interests, some within the music industry. In 1989, Robert De Niro and his partner Jane Rosenthal co-founded TriBeCa Productions as a movie production company. The company also organizes the Tribeca Film Festival.
Outside the movie industry, the legendary actor owns Tribeca Grill and a restaurant in Manhattan. Several journalists consider Robert de Niro one of his generation’s best actors.
He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors of his era. This actor has gained immense recognition for his exceptional portrayals in renowned movies such as “Taxi Driver” alongside Jodie Foster, “The Godfather II” with Al Pacino, and “The Deer Hunter” featuring Meryl Streep, Christopher Walken, and John Cazales.
What Do We Know About Grace Hightower?
On the other hand, her mother, Grace Hightower, is also considered a powerful individual in the United States. She is a known philanthropist who has launched several impactful projects. She launched Grace Hightower & Coffees of Rwanda in 2013 to improve Rwandan livelihoods by marketing their products internationally.
Grace Hightower is also a New York Women’s Foundation board member and the New York Fund for Public Schools. Despite rekindling their marriage in 2004, Hightower and Robert hit another marital challenge when Helen was just eight years old, but this time, their marriage did not survive the trouble.
There were multiple allegations that their marital troubles were due to Grace Hightower’s character defects. Robert had initially accused Hightower of being violent during their 1999 divorce attempt. Some of Robert’s former employees have also alleged that Hightower was a mean individual who ran the home like raging bulls.
One of Robert’s ex-chef said, “She is mean. If Mr. De Niro knew how badly she treats her kids, he would leave her.” This is probably one of the reasons why Helen Grace is usually seen more with her father.
Helen Grace de Niro Maintains a Minimal Public Appearance
Despite being a celebrity kid, Helen has maintained a microscopic public appearance. There have been a few times when lucky New Yorkers catch glimpses of Robert and his children on the streets.
Robert has been seen shopping with Helen on the Upper East Side. She has also attended a few public events with him. In 2015, she participated at the Steven Sondheim Theater, witnessing the captivating Carol King musical “Beautiful” and meeting the cast backstage.
The following year, Helen was captured in photographs while enjoying the US Open in a private box with her mother in New York City. However, sightings of the De Niro children are infrequent. Also, besides public appearances, Helen is not currently associated with any social media account.
What Do We Know About the Post-Divorce Fight for Helen Grace de Niro’s Custody?
The divorce between Robert and Hightower after twenty years of marriage was anything but amicable. The custody of their youngest child, Helen, was at the center of their dispute.
Also in question was the division of Robert’s assets worth over $500 million. The former couple avoided a custody trial, worked out a custody deal, and agreed to raise their daughter together.
Before their split became public knowledge, the couple no longer lived together, and the actor attended some events without Hightower. After reaching a custody agreement, Robert reportedly felt great about the terms, while Hightower did not comment.