Dad-Of-6 Robert de Niro, 79, & Grown Autistic Son Have Rare Outing - He Fought for His Boy with Ex

Robert De Niro is known for being a versatile actor who has been part of several record-breaking films. However, his private life is kept under wraps. But the actor recently made a rare appearance with his youngest son Eliot.

One of Hollywood's legends, Robert De Niro, announced that he and his wife of 20 years, Grace Hightower, were going their separate ways in 2018.

The actor released a statement about the divorce. De Niro expressed that he and Hightowers have two beautiful children, but their relationship was going through a transition that was not easy on their union.

However, the Ocar-winning actor extended kindness to his ex-wife and said, "I honor Grace as a wonderful mother," but asked for privacy as they both navigated their new roles as co-parents.

Although, this was not the first time the couple had separated. In 1999 De Niro filed for divorce, resulting in a messy custody battle.

But the two worked things out, and the divorce was never finalized. De Niro and Highwater renewed their vows in 2004 before their A-list friends and family.

The former couple shares two children, a son named Eliot and a daughter, Helen. But just like their own lives, De Niro and Highwater have kept their kids out of the limelight.

They would often step out with their children but managed to keep any facts about their lives out of the media. In 2016, the actor revealed that his son Eliot had been diagnosed with autism from a young age.

However, his parents succeeded in having very few pictures or details about his life in the papers. When speaking at the Special Olympics in 2019, De Niro spoke about his son's journey with tennis.

He said Eliot started playing the sport as a child but resisted it initially. But Eliot became so good at it that he played in the Special Olympics.

The actor and his wife worked hard to help their child establish the confidence he needed to play tennis and carefully guided him through his struggles with autism.

De Niro said finding something his children could do was integral to raising a child with special needs. Despite its difficulty, he never gave up, and with time, Eliot's confidence became his biggest motivator.

The Rare Father-Son Appearance in 2023

It is not often that De Niro has been photographed with his children, but the father of six recently made a rare appearance with his 24-year-old son, Eliot.

The 24-year-old is the youngest of the six children, but De Niro is also a father to Drena, Raphael, Julian, Helen, and Aaron."The Irishmen" star kept his outfit simple and perfect for the cold New York weather.

The actor wore a black beanie with a black jacket and a grey shirt underneath. He paired it with black pants and sneakers and finished the look with a black and grey striped scarf.

On the other hand, Eliot wore a red and black North Face puffer jacket with grey sweats and sneakers; he also carried two blue bags. Before entering the building, De Niro was seen speaking to another man outside.

Why Did de Niro Fight for Elliot with His Mom?

Although De Niro and Hightower ended their two-decade marriage, their relationship has been filled with many highs and lows. Their love story dates back to 1987 when they met in a nightclub in London. They dated for ten years before tying the knot.

The wedding ceremony took place at their home in Marebletown, New York, in 1997, with only a few friends and family surrounding them. In the same year, the newlyweds announced that they were expecting their first child together, and in 1998, Eliot was born.

However, a year later, De Niro filed for divorce, and the couple peacefully co-parented until the messy custody battle broke out.

The split between De Niro and Hightower came as a surprise to their friends and family. One close source said the actor’s wife had been gushing over how good he was with their then 17-month-old son.

However, despite the tension between him and Hightower, De Niro remained a devoted father. One of his friends and actor Chuck Low said the actor would do anything for his son. "He’d break off a meeting with me if he had to go see Elliot.”; he reiterated.

The commotion between the actor and his wife started when the couple was on a cruise trip, and Hightower accused De Niro of being intimate with another woman on their family trip.

But De Niro denied the allegation and said Hightower had a bad temper. Hightower reportedly started hitting the actor when he returned from the bathroom he allegedly cheated in.

Things escalated, and Hightower disembarked the yacht with Eliot, who was three years old. However, things spilled over to the legal side because their next court date resulted in the court ordering the actor and his -wife to a mental evaluation.

For a while, the situation between De Niro and Hightower seemed calmer as the couple was spotted in Manhatten playing with their son.

However, it was later revealed that after the yacht incident, Hightower had reportedly fractured the actor's ribs which bled into their custody.

De Niro filed a motion pleading to have unsupervised nights with Eliot. Hightower responded to the motion by citing that the actor used drugs and could never be left alone with their son.

But despite all the commotion, Di Nero and Hightower ended their battle peacefully. They worked on their marriage and even renewed their vows.