Who Is Tiffany Chen? 5 Things to Know About Robert De Niro’s Girlfriend Amid Baby News
By Meredith Nardino May 10, 2023
Tiffany Chen and Robert De NiroBav Media/SplashNews.com; Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Mystery woman no more. Robert De Niro has kept his relationship with Tiffany Chen under wraps since the pair were first linked in 2021.
The twosome reportedly connected on the set of 2015’s The Intern. At the time, the Oscar winner was married to Grace Hightower, with whom he welcomed son Elliot and daughter Helen in 1998 and 2011, respectively.
De Niro and the socialite tied the knot in 1997, two years before he filed for divorce and sued Hightower for custody of their son. The pair later reconciled and renewed their vows in 2004, but they called it quits for good in 2018.
“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,” the Meet the Parents actor noted in a statement to Us Weekly at the time.
Three years later, De Niro was photographed holding hands with Chen on a romantic European getaway. The duo were caught packing on the PDA while on a yacht with friends.
Over the years, the Taxi Driver star and the competitive martial artist have remained tight-lipped about their relationship. The pair were spotted meeting up with De Niro’s pals Billy Crystal and Harvey Keitel at Giorgio Baldi in Los Angeles in April 2023, one month before the Godfather Part II actor announced the arrival of his seventh child.
The New York native told ET Canada in May 2023 that he “just had” baby No. 7, but he did not immediately reveal the identity of the child’s mother. His About My Father costar Kim Cattrall hinted later that month that De Niro welcomed the newborn with Chen.
“God bless him. His significant other, Tiffany, is such a beautiful woman,” the Sex and the City alum gushed to Extra. “She came to the set once with her family and watched filming, and she was gorgeous and sweet. I’m happy for both of them.”
De Niro first became a father in 1976, welcoming son Raphael with his then-wife, Diahnne Abbott. He also adopted Abbott’s daughter from a previous relationship, Drena, before the couple’s 1988 split.
The Golden Globe winner went on to welcome twin sons Julian and Aaron via surrogate with model Toukie Smith, whom he dated from 1988 to 1996. While fans were shocked to hear De Niro’s family expanded even further in 2023 — at 79 years old — he assured Page Six the pregnancy was “planned.”
“How you could not plan that kind of thing?” he teased while promoting About My Father.
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Scroll down to learn more about Chen:
Credit: Bav Media/SplashNews.com
1. What Does Tiffany Chen Do for a Living?
Chen is a martial arts professional and instructor who has earned numerous titles and awards from around the globe. She was inducted into Inside Kung-Fu magazine's Hall of Fame in February 2011 at the age of 26. As a child, Chen took up ballet, figure skating, swimming and gymnastics before following in her dad's martial arts footsteps.
Credit: Francois Duhamel/Waverly/Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock
2. How Did Tiffany Chen Meet Robert De Niro?
Chen's talents landed her a role in the 2015 movie The Intern where she taught tai chi to De Niro and costar Anne Hathaway. The film is reportedly how the couple were introduced, though they didn't begin their romance until years later.
Credit: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock
3. When Did Tiffany Chen Start Dating Robert De Niro?
The twosome were romantically linked in summer 2021 after they were spotted holding hands in the South of France. Pics obtained by the Daily Mail at the time showed the pair packing on the PDA on a luxury yacht. While they've been photographed together countless times since, neither De Niro nor Chen have publicly confirmed their relationship.
Credit: JLDuenas/SplashNews.com
4. Who Are Tiffany Chen's Parents?
The world champion is the daughter of Yang Tai Chi Grandmaster William C. C. Chen, who runs his own martial arts academy.
"My plan has always been to learn how to be as great as my father," Tiffany noted during a 2011 interview. "My father is such an inspiration and has given back so much, working together with my mother [Priscilla] at our tai chi school and through his teaching around the world. He is an amazing mentor and role model."
Credit: LONE WOLF/MEGA
5. Has Tiffany Chen Been Married Before?
Little is known about Tiffany's prior relationships and dating life. In a 2011 interview, she explained the importance of having "generous, beautiful people" in her circle. "Surrounding yourself with good people creates a symbiotic relationship that makes everyone's quality of life go up exponentially," she said.
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