Additional Coverage:
- Robert De Niro Dives Off a Yacht in Video Shared by Daughter Drena for His 81st Birthday (usmagazine.com)
Robert De Niro marked his 81st birthday by energetically jumping off a yacht, a moment captured on camera by his oldest daughter, Drena De Niro. Drena celebrated her father’s birthday on Instagram last Saturday, August 17, posting a photo of Robert mid-jump into the sea, wearing orange-and-blue striped swim shorts.
Further excitement was shown in a video where the acclaimed actor could be seen diving into the water while those watching cheered. Off-camera, Drena can be heard exclaiming “He’s so crazy!”
and checking on her dad by shouting, “Are you alright?” to which he replied from the water, “Yeah, I’m okay!”
The height of the drop into the water was mentioned in the video as being 30 feet.
Drena also posted several other photos including a tender picture of Robert holding her as a baby and additional snaps of him over the years enjoying beach time with his grandchildren.
Robert De Niro, who adopted Drena at age five following his 1976 marriage to her mother, Diahnne Abbott, also shares children with several other partners. He had son Raphael, now 47, with Abbott before their divorce in 1988. With ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith, he has twin sons Julian and Aaron, 28; with ex-wife Grace Hightower, he has son Elliot, 26, and 12-year-old daughter Helen Grace; and with current girlfriend, Tiffany Chen, he has a 16-month-old daughter named Gia.
In a recent interview with People on February 7, De Niro spoke affectionately about Gia, saying, “She’s such an adorable baby. So sweet,” and expressing how being with her made “everything else goes away.”
De Niro’s family also includes four grandchildren, three from his son Raphael and one from Drena. Unfortunately, Drena’s son, Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, tragically passed away at the age of 19 in July 2023 due to an accidental drug overdose. Last month, Drena commemorated the first anniversary of Leandro’s death, describing him as a “sweet wild boy” who “made the world a brighter place.”
Following Leandro’s death, Robert issued a statement expressing his deep distress and requesting privacy to mourn the profound loss.