Robert De Niro has experienced a rich life in Hollywood show business. After receiving countless honors, including two Oscars, he is justly regarded as one of the finest actors of all time.
De Niro has had a quiet private life while yet being incredibly successful in the entertainment industry. He has been married twice, and his second marriage to Grace Hightower ended only in 2018.
Although their divorce first appeared to be rather normal, fresh material has since surfaced thanks to De Niro’s ex-wife. Furthermore, if De Niro’s attorney is to be believed, the famous actor is being “forced to labor” to pay for Hightower’s lavish lifestyle.
Within the Hollywood celebrity world, performers frequently marry other actors. It’s actually less common for an actor to wed someone unrelated to the industry.
Perhaps it’s simpler to deal with everything when you’re with someone who understands exactly what it’s like to be recognized everywhere. The luxurious life of a Hollywood star may appear to be straightforward, but in reality, things are frequently really complicated.
Marriages within Hollywood are subject to dissolution just as those with “normal people.” Although there are other instances where Hollywood marriages have succeeded just take a look at Mark Harmon and his wife Pam Dawber, who have been together for more than 30 years, for some, relationships end in divorce within a few years or even months.
Robert De Niro is another actor who has been wed for a lengthier period of time. The storied actor has been married twice; his second union, which lasted 21 years with Grace Hightower, dissolved in 2018.
De Niro allegedly dated another woman more recently, according to rumors. But even though he and Hightower separated three years ago, it seems like his ex-lavish wife’s lifestyle is still causing him problems.
Let’s first take a look at De Niro’s lengthy and fruitful profession before discussing his personal life.
De Niro was born in New York City on August 17, 1943, to parents who were both successful artists. While his father worked as a painter and poet, his mother was a talented artist.
He had a passion for cinema from an early age. He frequently went with his father, and Greta Garbo movies piqued his curiosity in particular. De Niro was able to take acting lessons for nothing since his mother was a copyeditor for a theatrical company. He made his stage debut as the lion in The Wizard of Oz when he was 10 years old.
His talent was quickly recognized, and that took very little time.
Eventually, De Niro received admission to the esteemed High School of Music and Art in New York. But he felt unprepared, and a few days later he pulled out.
De Niro decided to pursue an acting profession when he was 16 years old. His mother used all the funds she had set aside for his education expenses to fund her son’s desire instead. He continued his acting education at the Conservatory of Acting, where he was taught by renowned performer Stella Adler.
De Niro didn’t think he had a great talent at the moment.
I don’t think she actually remembered me, I was completely invisible in her class. I learned so much from her. I was not, however, a gifted student. De Niro recalls, “I was there and learnt a lot. I don’t feel like I’ve ever had a mentor.
Stella Adler was excellent. a little conceited, but whatever. No mentors were present. I had my favorites, including Brando, James Dean, and Montgomery Clift. They were all endowed with more… An abstract emotion Heart and soul Interpreting your character wasn’t all there was to it; there was much more.
When De Niro starred in the movie Greetings in 1968, it served as his official acting debut. His major break came in the 1973 movie Bang the Drum Slowly after he had done additional work.
Martin Scorsese and De Niro were childhood buddies while they both lived in New York City. Their friendship would prove to be crucial in De Niro’s life because it helped him land the part in Scorsese’s Mean Streets. His life changed irrevocably in 1974, and he rose to fame as one of the top performers in the business.
In Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather: Part II, De Niro played Vito Corleone. For his iconic work, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
“Getting the part altered, or, to put it another way, cranked up, my career. If you win the Academy Award, you can almost count on getting acting work in the future, according to De Niro.
The first movie I can recall seeing in my lifetime as a young man that was turning into a blockbuster was The Godfather Part One, according to how I remember it.
“Thereafter, blockbuster movies like Jaws and The Godfather II started to appear. There was a lot of excitement for Godfather II. Fortunately, Francis Ford Coppola wanted me to take on the task.
De Niro followed up his hit with the tense performance in Taxi Driver, which led to him being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. For his work in The Deer Hunter, he received yet another nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role (1979). Then, for the movie Raging Bull, De Niro received the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role in 1981.
De Niro was now regarded as one of Hollywood’s leading actors. But more than simply his career was succeeding. De Niro settled down at this time and wed his first wife, singer and actress Diahnne Abbott, in 1976. The same year, Robert adopted Diahnne’s daughter Drena from a previous marriage and the pair had son Raphael De Niro.
De Niro and Diahnne got divorced in 1988. Ten years after getting divorced, the actor married actress Grace Hightower and continued to work on a number of movies.
The actor dated model Toukie Smith for eight years before they got married, during which time they conceived twins through in vitro fertilization and a surrogate mother.
In fact, De Niro and Hightower had their first encounter in a club in London in 1987. She was employed at London’s renowned Mr. Chow restaurant at the time.
The pair got married at their Marbletown, New York, home a little over ten years later. A modest, private ceremony was held, and actors like Harvey Keitel and Joe Pesci were there.
Grace described their early connection as “an ease-in. There was no whirlwind.
The couple announced the arrival of their son, Elliot, a year later. The two parents made the choice to keep their children’s lives completely private. But in 2016, De Niro made the decision to raise awareness for autism by disclosing Elliot’s diagnosis in public.
He stated, “Grace and I have an autistic kid, and we believe it is crucial that all of the concerns surrounding the causes of autism be freely acknowledged and studied.
Sadly, De Niro and Hightower’s marriage quickly deteriorated into a shattered one. The Godfather star filed for divorce in 1999. A buddy of his reportedly stated that “Bobby was just not trying hard enough at his marriage to Grace,” according to a source.
For a year, the two shared parenting of Elliot before a custody dispute materialized. Many anticipated a nasty outcome when De Niro and Grace appeared in court. The divorce was never finalized because “Bobby” and his wife made up before things got out of hand.
In 2004, Meryl Streep, Martin Scorsese, and Ben Stiller were among the people who came to witness the couple’s home renewal of their vows.
De Niro said during the event, “They can make sure this one sticks.”
Grace has accomplished a variety of activities throughout her marriage to actor Robert De Niro, including acting and singing. She even launched Coffee of Grace, her own coffee company.
Helen, a daughter, was born to the couple in 2011. Their relationship wouldn’t survive forever, despite the fact that they had reaffirmed their vows to declare their love for one another.
After 20 years of marriage, De Niro and Hightower announced their separation in November 2018.
“Grace and I are parents to two gorgeous kids. The statement from De Niro stated, “We are experiencing a moment of change in our partnership, which is a challenging but positive process.
As we move on with developing our roles as parenting partners, I acknowledge Grace as a beautiful mother and ask for everyone’s respect and discretion.
Along with his acting career, De Niro has transitioned into business ownership, investing in a number of eateries including Nobu, the Tribeca Grill, and the Greenwich Hotel in New York City.
Many restaurants, hotels, and other companies experienced significant losses when the pandemic first emerged. De Niro was caught in that storm, and now he and his ex-wife must work, according to his attorney.
The specifics of the 77-year-old De Niro and his ex-divorce wife’s settlement haven’t been made public. However, some news sources claim that the actor is struggling to keep up with his ex-opulent wife’s way of living.
According to Caroline Krauss, De Niro’s attorney, Hightower has “a desire for Stella McCartney” and has even purchased a diamond ring for more than $1 million, according to Page Six. Meanwhile, according to Business Insider, De Niro has reduced Grace’s monthly credit card limit from $100,000 to $50,000 in an effort to rein in her spending.
A court dispute is currently ongoing, and De Niro, 77, is losing money. According to Krauss, the pandemic has cost his restaurants millions of dollars in losses.
In a virtual divorce hearing in Manhattan, Krauss reportedly told the judge, “Mr. De Niro is 77 years old, and while he loves his trade, he should not be forced to work at this prodigious pace because he has to.”
When will that be over? When will he have the chance to stop taking on every job that comes his way and stop working 12-hour days and six-day weeks to keep up with Ms. Hightower’s insatiable need for Stella McCartney? she said.
“The party is finished if he gets sick tomorrow.”
Kevin McDonough, Hightower’s attorney, retaliated against De Niro by calling the claims of his financial instability “nonsense.”
“I don’t believe a man who has an admitted net worth of $500 million and makes $30 million a year suddenly needs to reduce [spousal support] by 50% and kick her out of the house in March,” McDonough said.
Whether Robert De Niro or his ex-wife Grace Hightower will prevail in court remains to be seen.
