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Robert De Niro, 79, welcomes seventh child: all we know about his family

Robert De Niro, at 79, has another newborn on his hands! The Oscar winning actor, who already has six kids, has announced he welcomed his seventh child this year.

Though he didn't disclose any information about the baby's mother, sex, or place of birth, he opened up about parenting and his newborn in a new sitdown interview with ET Canada.

While discussing fatherhood as it relates to his new movie About My Father, a father-son adventure costarring Sebastian Maniscalco, the actor confirmed he had recently become a father of seven.

MORE: Robert De Niro opens up about exciting Tribeca comeback

When asked about his six kids, De Niro corrected the interviewer with "Seven, actually," adding: "I just had a baby," though he didn't elaborate any further. His other six children are Drena, Raphael, Julian, Aaron, Elliot, and Helen Grace, which he shares with three different women.

Drena, 51, and Raphael, 46, he shares with his first wife, Diahnne Abbott, 78, who he married in 1976 and officially divorced from in 1988. Drena is Diahhne's daughter from a previous relationship, though De Niro adopted her and she took his last name when he married Diahnne. Raphael is his first biological child and oldest son.

MORE: Robert De Niro shares memories of his late gay father

He welcomed twin sons Julian and Aaron, 27, with his former girlfriend, model and actress Toukie Smith, 70, who he was with from 1985 until 1992.

Diahnne Abbott, daughter Dreena De Niro and son Raphael De Niro attend the premiere of Awakenings on December 17, 1990 at Loew's Fine Arts Theater in New York City
Diahnne Abbott, daughter Dreena De Niro and son Raphael De Niro attend the premiere of Awakenings on December 17, 1990 at Loew's Fine Arts Theater in New York City

His second wife was Grace Hightower, 68; they were married from 1997 until 2018, and they share Elliot, 24, and Helen Grace, 11. They briefly separated between the births of their two kids.

MORE: Bradley Cooper chats with Robert De Niro at Silver Linings Playbook premiere

MORE: Robert De Niro welcomes sixth child at 68

De Niro also has four grandkids, three from his son Raphael, who is a real estate broker, and one from his daughter Drena, also an actress and filmmaker.

Toukie Smith and her twin boys Aaron and Julian, sons of Robert DeNiro, NYC, New York, November 6, 1998.
Toukie Smith and her twin boys Aaron and Julian, sons of Robert DeNiro, NYC, New York, November 6, 1998.

Further discussing his approach to parenting his children with ET, despite some of his already being adults with kids of their own, he said: "I mean, there's no way around it with kids. I don't like to have to lay down the law and stuff like that. But, [sometimes] you just have no choice," adding: "Any parent, I think, would say the same thing. You always want to do the right thing by the children and give them the benefit of the doubt but sometimes you can't."

He previously explained his approach to parenting, particularly whether his kids should follow in his acting footsteps, with People, when he recalled teaching his kids: "If you want to be an actor or you want to do this or that, that's fine as long as you're happy. Just don't sell yourself short."

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
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

"That's the most I would say," he said, adding: "Push yourself a little more and reach for what you really think it is you want to do. Don't be afraid," and that: "It's important for them to find their own lane."

De Niro's new film about a father-son relationship, About My Father, is out May 26, and per IMDb, the plot reads: "When Sebastian tells his old-school Italian immigrant father Salvo that he is going to propose to his all-American girlfriend, Salvo insists on crashing a weekend with her wealthy and exceedingly eccentric family."

Scroll below for more photos of DeNiro's family.

Drena De NIro and Raphael De Niro attend VANITY FAIR TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL Opening Night Dinner Hosted by ROBERT DE NIRO, GRAYDON CARTER and RONALD PERELMAN at The State Supreme Courthouse on April 20, 2010 in New York City
Drena De NIro and Raphael De Niro attend VANITY FAIR TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL Opening Night Dinner Hosted by ROBERT DE NIRO, GRAYDON CARTER and RONALD PERELMAN at The State Supreme Courthouse on April 20, 2010 in New York City
Aaron De Niro, Juilan De Niro, Grace Hightower, Elliot De Niro and Dan Lufkin attend The Central Park Conservancy Opens the Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade on Earth Day at The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade on April 22, 2007 in New York City
Aaron De Niro, Juilan De Niro, Grace Hightower, Elliot De Niro and Dan Lufkin attend The Central Park Conservancy Opens the Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade on Earth Day at The Peter Jay Sharp Children's Glade on April 22, 2007 in New York City
Robert De Niro and son, Elliot, on Sliding Pond in Central Park, NYC
Robert De Niro and son, Elliot, on Sliding Pond in Central Park, NYC
Gus Birney as "Gloria Parodus" and Julian De Niro as "Alton Scales" during the first curtain call for the new production of "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" on Broadway at The James Earl Jones Theater on April 25, 2023 in New York City
Gus Birney as "Gloria Parodus" and Julian De Niro as "Alton Scales" during the first curtain call for the new production of "The Sign in Sidney Brustein's Window" on Broadway at The James Earl Jones Theater on April 25, 2023 in New York City
Julian De Niro attends Showtime's FYC Event and Premiere for "The First Lady" at DGA Theater Complex on April 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California
Julian De Niro attends Showtime's FYC Event and Premiere for "The First Lady" at DGA Theater Complex on April 14, 2022 in Los Angeles, California

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