Hollywood marriages get constant media attention, especially if they involve A-list actors like Robert De Niro. Whatever an actor of his stature does in his private life often becomes news due to his popularity.
This is why De Niro’s first marriage drew significant attention before ending amid reports of an affair. He had married actress Diahnne Abbott, with whom he also worked on Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, and New York, New York.
They married in 1976 after meeting on the sets of Taxi Driver and remained together for nearly a decade. Abbott gave birth to their son, Raphael, and De Niro legally adopted Abbott’s daughter from a past relationship.
Robert DiNero & his wife at the time, actress Diahnne Abbott they were married from 1976-1988
Robert De Niro and Diahnne Abbott shared a quiet yet meaningful love story that began in the 1970s, during the rise of De Niro’s career. They married in 1976 and built a blended family… pic.twitter.com/OpBepHtJDH
— 🌻444✨ (@Letii_Sunshine) November 8, 2025
However, De Niro reportedly began an affair with singer Helena Springs during the marriage. Springs claimed the two began an intimate relationship after meeting at a party in 1979. Apparently, the affair lasted for three years, as reported by Associated Press.
The actor was also reportedly linked to other women. The alleged infidelity and De Niro’s Hollywood success contributed to his marriage ending in 1988.
But ties with Springs were hardly over for De Niro, as he also got himself involved in a messy paternity suit with her.
Almost at the same time as their split, Springs gave birth to her daughter, Nina. Later, Springs claimed De Niro was Nina’s father and filed a case for him to pay $10,000 a month for child support.
The Los Angeles Times reported that De Niro also believed the child to be his and even made payments for a time. However, he stopped paying after some time, which ultimately led to the lawsuit against him.
De Niro got wind that he was not actually the father, which was proven true after three blood tests. But even then, Springs and her lawyers continued asking for money on the grounds of him being like a father to her daughter.
The judge ultimately ruled in De Niro’s favor.
De Niro’s relationship did not really follow a smoother path, even after his first marriage. He later entered a relationship with model Toukie Smith, and the couple welcomed twins, Julian and Airyn.
🔥🚨DEVELOPING: Conspiracy theorist and actor Robert De Niro was spotted at the 17th annual Chanel x Tribeca Artists Dinner with his girlfriend Tiffany Chen. pic.twitter.com/JO3LzaJ48f
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) June 13, 2024
The Oscar-winning actor then got involved with actress Grace Hightower, with whom he stayed married for 20 years. They filed for divorce in 2018.
Currently, De Niro is in a relationship with the much younger Tiffany Chen, with whom he fathered a daughter. He was 79 at the time of her birth, making De Niro one of the oldest fathers on record.
