Robert De Niro’s half-black son, Raphael De Niro, is a successful man today with a career built independently of his dad’s influence.
There should be no argument against saying that Robert De Niro is one of the greatest actors of all time. Basically, everyone loves his movies.
This Hollywood veteran continues to impress audiences worldwide, but apart from being a brilliant actor, De Niro is also a proud father to six children.
Robert De Niro arrives Party at the mayor during the 64th International Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2011 in Cannes | Source: Shutterstock
LIFE OF RAPHAEL DE NIRO
His first marriage was in 1976 to African-American singer and actress Diahnne Abbott. They share two children, son Raphael and Abbott’s daughter, Drena, whom De Niro adopted. The marriage ended in 1988, but the “Dirty Grandpa” actor remains very close to his children.
De Niro’s first son, Raphael, is a grown man now and has proven his mettle with a lucrative career. Raphael De Niro was born on November 9, 1976, in Los Angeles but moved to New York with his family at 10.
Diahnne Abbott at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival on April 27, 2013 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Raphael De Niro dabbled briefly into his father’s career, working as a producer and actor in a handful of films, but today, he’s a big shot in the New York real estate game.
Before going into real estate, he had produced movies such as "James Abbott Is Gone," "Love Streams," and more.
Raphael De Niro at the Tribeca Film Institute Benefit screening of "Skyfall" on November 5, 2012 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
As a real estate broker, he is the founder of The De Niro Team at New York’s Douglas Elliman real estate firm. He is one of Manhattan’s top real estate agents, raking in millions of dollars worth of high-end New York properties every year.
In 2015, he and Sabrina Saltiel were said to have nabbed a listing worth $120 million. The listing was said to be New York's most expensive listing at the time.
Overall, he had sold $600 million in properties by 2011, landing among the top 10 sellers each year at Prudential Douglas Elliman, one of the city’s largest firms.
Raphael De Niro is currently married to Hannah Carnes De Niro. The pair got married at City Hall on Friday, March 13, 2020, before the government issued the stay-at-home order.
Before his marriage to Carnes, he was initially married to Claudine De Niro, with whom he has three children. Unfortunately, they separated in 2015, and Raphael filed for divorce in 2016.
(L-R) - Eliona Cela, Raphael De Niro, Robert Whitman, Hannah Carnes, and Aislinn Carnes celebrating the 35th Anniversary of Purple Rain on June 25, 2019, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
NOT HIDING BEHIND HIS FATHER'S NAME
Raphael De Niro has always desired that he does not allow himself or his work to be built on his family’s name. In a 2017 interview with The Real Deal, he said about his father’s fame:
“I kind of shunned the attention. Walking around with him was sort of difficult for me. At a certain point in my 20s, I stopped caring.”
Robert De Niro at the 2017 Hudson River Park Annual Gala on October 12, 2017 in New York City | Source: Getty Images
Today, Raphael De Niro, whose cousin is the famous singer Gregory Abbott, has a different thought about hiding behind his father’s name. He admits that he wants to be remembered as:
“Somebody who didn’t try to cash in on the family name, who tried to make his own way and tried to be honest and forthright in his dealings with everyone.”
RAPHAEL DE NIRO'S SIBLINGS
Besides Raphael De Niro and Drena De Niro from Diahnne Abbott, Robert De Niro also has other children from subsequent relationships.
After parting ways with Abbott, he had a long-term relationship with model Toukie Smith. They share twin sons, Aaron and Julian.
The multi-award-winning actor also married his second wife, Grace Hightower. They have two children, a son Elliott and a daughter Helen Grace.
Raphael's half-brother Elliot was diagnosed with autism at an early age. De Niro announced his separation from Hightower in November 2018.
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