Robert De Niro is one of the most recognizable actors in American film, known for tough, quiet, intense characters in movies that have shaped modern cinema for more than fifty years. People are searching his name right now for two very different reasons: a fake story claiming he died, and real news about his upcoming movies. This article separates the two and lays out the full, verified picture of who he is.
Background: Who Is Robert De Niro and Why Is He Trending?
Robert De Niro was born on August 17, 1943, in Greenwich Village, New York City, to two working artists. He grew up around painters and became one of the defining actors of his generation, known for his collaborations with director Martin Scorsese and for founding the Tribeca Film Festival after the September 11 attacks to help rebuild lower Manhattan’s economy.
He is searched constantly because he keeps working. In his 80s, he is still releasing new films and raising a young daughter alongside grown children and grandchildren. That mix of old Hollywood legacy and current-day headlines keeps his name near the top of search results.
Quick fact: De Niro has won two competitive Academy Awards — Best Supporting Actor for “The Godfather Part II” (1974) and Best Actor for “Raging Bull” (1980) — making him one of only a small number of actors to win Oscars in both categories.
Latest Update
Robert De Niro is alive and actively working. The biggest reason his name is trending right now is a fake news story that spread online in early September 2026, claiming he had died. This is confirmed false. His representatives publicly stated he is “alive and well” and dismissed the claim as the latest in a long pattern of celebrity death hoaxes that circulate on social media. There is no credible report from any major news outlet supporting the death claim, and it should be treated as an internet rumor, not a fact.
Unconfirmed claim flagged: The September 2026 “Robert De Niro is dead” story is a hoax that originated on a fan-style social media page, not a verified news source. No mainstream outlet — AP, Reuters, BBC, or similar — has reported his death, and his team has directly denied it.
Separately, a different rumor circulated in January 2026 claiming De Niro said he was leaving New York City because of new mayor Zohran Mamdani’s policies. Fact-checkers found no evidence he ever made that statement, and it also appears to be false.
On the career side, real news is happening too. His new Netflix crime thriller, “The Whisper Man,” landed at the top of Netflix’s global chart in early September 2026, spending its first week as the No. 1 movie in dozens of countries, including the United States. He is also set to return as Jack Byrnes in “Focker-in-Law,” the fourth “Meet the Parents” film, alongside Ben Stiller, with a release date of November 25, 2026. Earlier in the year, in February 2026, he spoke out publicly against President Trump’s administration during a podcast appearance, continuing a pattern of political commentary he has kept up since late 2025.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Robert De Niro grew up in Greenwich Village and Little Italy in Manhattan, raised by two artist parents who separated when he was young. He was a shy, quiet kid, and acting became the outlet that pulled him out of his shell. He trained under acting coaches Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg, building the intense, detail-obsessed style he is still known for today.
Career Path
De Niro’s breakthrough came in 1973 with Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets,” which launched one of the most important actor-director partnerships in film history. He went on to star in “The Godfather Part II,” “Taxi Driver,” “The Deer Hunter,” “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino,” “Heat,” “Cape Fear,” and “The Irishman,” while also finding huge commercial success in comedies like “Meet the Parents,” “Analyze This,” and “The Intern.” In 2002, he co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival, and he has also built a business career through the Nobu restaurant chain and various hotel and real estate ventures. As of September 2026, he has two new films either just released or scheduled: “The Whisper Man” on Netflix and “Focker-in-Law” in theaters this November.
Age
Robert De Niro is 83 years old, born August 17, 1943.
Religion
De Niro has never publicly claimed a specific religious practice or affiliation, and no credible source confirms one. His father came from an Italian Catholic and Irish background, and his mother had English, Dutch, German, and some Jewish ancestry. He was not raised with strict religious observance, and this part of his life should be treated as largely private and unconfirmed rather than stated as fact.
Spouse/Partner
De Niro has been married twice: to actress Diahnne Abbott from 1976 to 1988, and to actress Grace Hightower from 1997 until their separation in 2018. Since around 2021, he has been in a relationship with Tiffany Chen, a martial arts and Tai Chi instructor he first met on the set of “The Intern” in 2015. The couple welcomed a daughter, Gia Virginia Chen De Niro, on April 6, 2023. They are not married, and De Niro has referred to Chen publicly as his partner.
Net Worth
Robert De Niro’s net worth is widely estimated at around $500 million, based on figures repeated across entertainment and finance outlets. This number is not an official, audited figure — no public company discloses his personal finances — so it should be read as a commonly cited estimate rather than a confirmed exact amount. His income comes from decades of film salaries, producing credits, and business ventures including Nobu and various real estate holdings.
Parents
His father, Robert De Niro Sr., was a respected abstract expressionist painter whose work hung in major museums including the Whitney and MoMA. His mother, Virginia Admiral, was also a painter and poet. Both parents were part of New York’s mid-century art scene, and their creative careers directly shaped his own artistic path.
Height
De Niro’s height is commonly listed at around 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) in entertainment reference sources. There is no official, verified measurement from a primary source, so this figure should be treated as a widely repeated estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Education
De Niro attended the High School of Music & Art in Manhattan before leaving formal schooling to focus fully on acting as a teenager. He studied at the Stella Adler Conservatory and later at the Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg, the training ground that shaped his method-acting approach.
Hometown/State of Origin
Greenwich Village, New York City, New York, United States.
Official Social Media
Robert De Niro does not maintain a widely verified personal Instagram, X, or TikTok account under his own name. Fans looking for authentic updates are better served by verified outlets covering his projects, such as the official Tribeca Festival website, which he co-founded and remains closely tied to. Any personal social account claiming to be his should be treated as unconfirmed unless verified through a major news outlet.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Robert Anthony De Niro |
| Date of Birth | August 17, 1943 |
| Age (as of Sept 2026) | 83 |
| Birthplace | Greenwich Village, New York City, USA |
| Occupation | Actor, Director, Producer |
| Years Active | 1963–present |
| Spouses | Diahnne Abbott (1976–1988), Grace Hightower (1997–2018) |
| Current Partner | Tiffany Chen (since c. 2021) |
| Children | 7, including Drena, Raphael, Julian, Aaron, Elliot, Helen Grace, and Gia |
| Estimated Net Worth | ~$500 million (widely cited estimate, unofficial) |
| Major Awards | 2 Academy Awards, Golden Globe, Presidential Medal of Freedom (2016) |
| 2026 Projects | “The Whisper Man” (Netflix), “Focker-in-Law” (Nov. 25, 2026) |
Confirmed alive and working: Despite the September 2026 death hoax, Robert De Niro’s representatives have confirmed he is alive, and he currently has a No. 1 Netflix film and a major theatrical release scheduled for later this year.
Reader Questions (FAQ)
Is Robert De Niro dead?
No. A story claiming he died spread online in early September 2026, but it is a confirmed hoax. His representatives have publicly stated he is alive and well, and no credible news outlet has reported his death.
How old is Robert De Niro?
Robert De Niro was born on August 17, 1943, which makes him 83 years old as of September 2026.
Who is Robert De Niro’s current partner?
His current partner is Tiffany Chen, a martial arts and Tai Chi instructor he met on the set of “The Intern” in 2015. They have been publicly linked since around 2021 and share a daughter, Gia, born in April 2023.
How many kids does Robert De Niro have?
He has seven children: Drena and Raphael from his marriage to Diahnne Abbott, twins Julian and Aaron with former partner Toukie Smith, Elliot and Helen Grace from his marriage to Grace Hightower, and Gia with current partner Tiffany Chen.
What is Robert De Niro’s net worth?
His net worth is commonly estimated at around $500 million, based on decades of acting income and business ventures like the Nobu restaurant chain. This figure is a widely repeated estimate, not an official disclosed number.
What new movies does Robert De Niro have in 2026?
He stars in the Netflix crime thriller “The Whisper Man,” which topped Netflix’s global charts in September 2026, and he returns as Jack Byrnes in “Focker-in-Law,” the fourth “Meet the Parents” film, releasing in theaters on November 25, 2026.
Did Robert De Niro really win two Oscars?
Yes. He won Best Supporting Actor for “The Godfather Part II” in 1975 and Best Actor for “Raging Bull” in 1981, making him one of a small group of actors to win competitive Oscars in both acting categories.
Wrap-Up
Robert De Niro’s story is really two stories running side by side. There’s the legendary one — the kid from Greenwich Village who trained under top acting coaches and became one of the defining screen actors of the last fifty years through his work with Martin Scorsese and his own two Oscar wins. And there’s the current one — an 83-year-old still releasing hit movies, raising a young daughter, and, this month, having his own team publicly deny that he’s dead.
That second story is a good reminder of how celebrity misinformation spreads. A fake headline can rack up a million likes on a fan page long before any real newsroom checks it. If you saw the death rumor and came here for answers, it’s simple: he’s alive, working, and his upcoming films are proof.
What’s actually worth watching from here is the real news — how “The Whisper Man” performs on Netflix, whether “Focker-in-Law” lives up to the nostalgia of the original “Meet the Parents” trilogy this November, and how De Niro continues to balance his public political voice with his private life alongside Tiffany Chen and his youngest daughter, Gia.
Thomas Andrew is the founder of Odubio.com, a digital platform sharing inspiring biographies, news, and stories about global icons and achievers.