Robert De Niro caused a great stir celebrates his 81st birthday on Saturday, August 17and his family members gather around him to celebrate the occasion.
The eldest of his seven children, Drena De NiroShe used social media to pay tribute to her fatherand offers an insight into the exciting way they spent this day – with a jump into the sea.
She shared photos and a clip from her day at the seaside, in which the star, who looked quite fit and athletic for his age and was dressed only in patterned swim shorts, took an 11-meter-deep jump into the water.
Drena also included childhood snapshots of herself with her father, who adopted her after marrying her mother, Diahnne Abbott, in 1976, and her half-brother Raphael, Robert and Diahnne’s only child.
“Happy 81st birthday my dad, and #1, keep up the good work… I love you with all my heart, #BobbyD, forever,” She gave her tribute a sweet caption and shared many more throwbacks on her Instagram stories.
Robert has seven children with his former partners, including 56-year-old Drena and 47-year-old Raphael with Diahnne, twins Julian and Aaron (28) with model Toukie Smith, 26-year-old Elliot and 12-year-old Helen with his ex-wife Grace Hightower, and one-year-old baby Gia with his current girlfriend Tiffany Chen.
During a recent appearance on the show “Third Hour of Today” ahead of the TriBeCa Film Festival in June, the two-time Oscar winner was asked how he thinks he’s changed as a father between raising his eldest (Drena) and youngest (Gia) daughters. He initially joked, “Ask the older ones.”
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“I mean, nothing is perfect in life, as we all know,” he continued. “And my older kids… as they get older, you know, they’re more critical. When they’re young, like the baby, it’s pure joy, period. So I enjoy that.”
InstagramBefore paying tribute to her father on his birthday, Drena posted a bittersweet tribute on Instagram to her late son Leandro De Niro Rodriguez, who tragically died of an accidental overdose in July 2023 at the age of 19 after taking pills laced with fentanyl.
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Leandro, who was welcomed by Drena’s ex Carlos “Mare” Rodriquez, would have celebrated his 21st birthday on August 11, a few days before his grandfather’s 81st birthday, and she shared an emotional message with him, along with several photos from their life together.
© Getty Images“Happy heavenly 21st birthday, Leandro…I have been in awe, love and admiration for you since the first moment I saw you,” she wrote.
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“I’m selfish and wish you were here with me, but I know you’re probably having the most fun ever surrounded by an army of angels who love and appreciate you as much as we do here.”
Drena continued, “I’m running out of good and funny words to describe you and my feelings for you, so I’ll just say… Until we meet again, my little love. Keep shining, crazy diamond!”
