Robert De Niro breaks silence on split from wife Grace Hightower after 20 years of marriage

Robert De Niro is breaking his silence after splitting from Grace Hightower whom he was married to for 21 years.

Last week multiple media outlets reported the news. The Hollywood acting legend, Robert De Niro has finally confirmed the couple's separation on Tuesday.

“Grace and I have two beautiful children together. We are entering a period of transition in our relationship which is a difficult but constructive process. I honor Grace as a wonderful mother and ask for privacy and respect from all as we proceed to develop our roles as partners in parenting.” said De Niro in his statement

The 75 year old actor married 63-year-old Hightower in 1997. They had dated for almost a decade before tying the knot.

Together they have two children together: 20-year-old son Elliott and 6-year-old daughter Helen Grace. The two have separated once before when De Niro filed for divorce in 1999 and engaged into a custody dispute over their son.

However, the pair eventually smoothed things over. They reconciled and the divorce was never finalized.

Following the debacle, the two renewed their vows in November 2004. The ceremony was held in front of an A-list crowd which included Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Ben Stiller, and Tom Brokaw

Unfortunately, the couple has now called it quits again.

Their last public appearance as a couple was in June. They attended the 72nd Annual Tony Awards in New York City. De Niro has always been super private when it comes to his family life but this time he showed his softer side while speaking about his family.

De Niro has also been married to actress Diahnne Abbott from 1976. They divorced in 1988.