#robertdeniro
Robert Anthony De Niro Jr. was born on August 17, 1943, in New York City. His parents were both respected artists who had met while attending Hans Hoffman's famed Provincetown painting classes. His mother, Virginia Admiral, was a cerebral and gifted painter, a Berkeley graduate who made a significant name for herself in the 1940s and 1950s New York art scene. His father, Robert De Niro Sr., was a painter, sculptor and poet whose work received high critical acclaim. Known as the "golden couple" of the New York art circle, Virginia and Robert Sr. nevertheless split ways in 1945, when young DeNiro was only two years old. As his father remained singularly devoted to his art, De Niro was raised primarily by his mother, who took on work as a typesetter and printer to support her son.

A bright and energetic child, De Niro was incredibly fond of attending movies with his father when they spent time together. He was especially taken with films starring Swedish actress Greta Garbo. De Niro's mother worked part-time as a typist and copyeditor for Maria Picator's Dramatic Workshop, and as part of her compensation, De Niro was allowed to take children's acting classes for free.
At the age of 10, De Niro made his stage debut as the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz. Soon after, he was accepted at New York's prestigious High School of Music and Art, an institution specializing in visual and performance arts. However, feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for the intense and competitive atmosphere, he dropped out to attend public school after only a few days.

A noted Democratic supporter, De Niro took umbrage at 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's combative style, stating that he wanted to punch the New York businessman in the face. He was even harsher during a profanity-laced speech at the National Board of Review Annual Awards Gala in January 2018, saying, "This f*** idiot is the president. It's The Emperor's New Clothes -- the guy is a f** fool ... our baby-in-chief."
De Niro married actress Diahnne Abbott in 1976. The couple had one son before divorcing 12 years later, in 1988. De Niro then had a long relationship with model Toukie Smith that produced twin sons in 1995. Then in 1997, De Niro married Grace Hightower, with whom he has one son. In November 2018, De Niro and Hightower announced that they had split.