Robert de Niro's Girlfriend Breaks Silence about Facial Paralysis after Being Slammed for Never Smiling

• Robert De Niro's girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, gave her first interview after being criticized about her appearance.
• In the interview, Chen spoke about her pregnancy, giving birth, and loss of facial function.
• Chen also opened up about her love for De Niro and how supportive the actor was after she gave birth.

Robert De Niro and his girlfriend Tiffany Chen welcomed their first child, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro, on April 6, 2023. She is the seventh child of the actor, who has been married twice, has two kids with his first wife, two with his second wife, and two with his former girlfriend.

Chen recently opened up in her first interview following criticisms about her facial appearance. She spoke to Gayle King on CBS Mornings about her pregnancy, giving birth, and loss of facial function.

De Niro's girlfriend said her pregnancy was really easy. She added that she joked a lot during the pregnancy about how big she was getting. Chen said she was very active during her pregnancy, "I was just very in touch with my body." She also revealed her reaction to how people slammed her's and De Niro's appearance in the news.

What Was Chen's Reaction to People's Critics?

The actor having a baby at 79 led to many headlines on the news and comments from people online. Several online users slammed De Niro for having a child in his older years.

Again, when Chen gave birth and was out at events with De Niro, headlines and people online commented negatively about their appearance. One person said the couple looked "miserable" and described Chen as a "sad Chinese man."

Chen revealed how she reacted to the headlines and people's comments. She confessed that some things people said were harsh and needed someone with thick skin to absorb them.

Chen, a world-champion martial art instructor, also revealed the best thing about her boyfriend. She said she liked how much De Niro loves his family. "That might make me a little teary-eyed," Chen added.

De Niro's girlfriend noted that some headlines said she and the actor looked somber, sad, and unhappy. She added that these headlines were "a little frustrating to see sometimes."

Chen also remarked the people who wrote these headlines didn't even know what was going on in her life and that they should have just minded their own business. She said:

"If you want to say something, don't always attach what you think in your mind is the story, which, you don't know us, you don't know what's happened in somebody's life."

Chen shared what happened to her body after she gave birth to her daughter and how the health issue affected her facial function. What started as a sharp pain behind her ear evolved into something else.

What Happened to Chen's Face?

Chen said she lost all movement on her face soon after she gave birth to her daughter. After losing all movement, she couldn't smile, which caused led to the many criticisms she faced online from people who said she was sad, somber, and unhappy.

Right after delivering Gia via C-section, Chen noticed she was getting a sharp pain behind her ear. She informed doctors, who said the pain may have been caused by fluid buildup after she gave birth.

However, when Chen finally looked at herself in the mirror, she knew something looked odd on her face. Still, when she got home from the hospital, she said everything on her face started falling down on itself. "Like my face was melting on itself," she described.

A week after she gave birth, Chen's face worsened. "I lost all facial function," she confessed. She was readmitted to the hospital, and MRI was conducted. The MRI revealed she has Bell's Palsy, a neurological disorder that causes severe muscle weakness or facial paralysis.

The health condition affected her face so much that she couldn't talk well, she even had to hold her face in position, and worse, the mom of one couldn't smile at her baby when she was young or give her kisses.

Chen's face has improved, and she revealed that her treatment includes steroids and acupuncture. De Niro's girlfriend added that she never cared much about her appearance. Chen also remarked how De Niro supported her during this time.

How is Chen's and De Niro's Relationship?

De Niro met Chen on the set of "The Intern." Chen was a Tai Chi instructor in this movie that featured De Niro. The actor's girlfriend recalled teaching him, "I've had better students, but he was okay…he had a lot of other stuff to do in the movie."

Chen added that after their first meet on set, the two reunited years later and realized they liked each other a bit too much, leading to their relationship. Chen, a world-champion martial art instructor, also revealed the best thing about her boyfriend. She said she liked how much De Niro loves his family. "That might make me a little teary-eyed," Chen added.

The mom of one also confessed that when her face lost function and started melting on itself, De Niro was sweet to her and assured her that she still looked great. De Niro told Chen he saw no change or difference in her face.

Chen described De Niro as very strong and supportive as she went through her health issue. She also said that their new addition, Gia, has made their lives more fun now that they are a family of three.

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