Al Pacino has now said hello to his new little friend. The famous actor, 83, and his girlfriend welcomed their first child together, a son named Roman Pacino. He’s not the only star in their 80s to welcome a new baby, with Robert De Niro recently becoming the parent to a baby girl.
Al Pacino’s fourth child
The new baby has joined Al Pacino‘s three other children; he shares Julie with his ex, Jan Tarrant, and Anton and Olivia were born while he was with Beverly D’Angelo.
Pacino has spoken about the importance of having close relationships with his kids and said his father left him and his mother when he was only two. “It’s the missing link, so to speak,” he told The New Yorker in 2014. “Having children has helped a lot. I consciously knew that I didn’t want to be like my dad. I wanted to be there. I have three children. I’m responsible to them. I’m a part of their life.”
Al Pacino allegedly demanded a DNA test
According to reports, Al Pacino had concerns about his ability to conceive, due to a medical condition associated with infertility. As a result, the 83-year-old actor didn’t think he could impregnate his girlfriend and was said to be “shocked” when he learned she was expecting.
Per TMZ, he insisted that Noor Alfallah undergo a paternity test to confirm the child was indeed his. She obliged and the results showed Pacino is indeed the father.
De Niro let the happy news slip during an interview
Al Pacino isn’t the only older father to make news as of late. Robert De Niro recently shared his own exciting news, revealing that he’d welcomed a new baby into the world. Very little information was initially provided about the child, but it wasn’t long before he revealed the baby’s name and more details.
De Niro met with ET Canada to discuss the 2023 film About My Father. Starring alongside comedian Sebastian Maniscalco in the movie, its plot goes into themes of parenting and family, prompting the interviewer to ask him about his own parenting skills. After his six children were mentioned, De Niro clarified that this is no longer true, revealing that he’s a father to “seven, actually.” He didn’t say much else about it, but happily explained, “I just had a baby.”
A representative for De Niro confirmed the news that the 79-year-old Academy Award winner is, indeed, a new father.
Robert De Niro was already a father to six children
Robert De Niro has been a father for decades. He adopted his first child, Drena, in 1976 following his marriage to actress Diahnne Abbott. She was from a previous relationship of her mother’s, but De Niro quickly welcomed her as his own. The actor and Abbott then welcomed their son, Raphael, who was born just seven months after their wedding.
De Niro and Abbott’s relationship came to an end in 1988 and he pursued a relationship with actress and model Toukie Smith. After several years of dating, they welcomed twin sons, Aaron and Julian, although their relationship swiftly ended in 1996. The next year, De Niro married actress Grace Hightower, welcoming two more children, Elliot and Helen Grace, before splitting in 2018.
Most recently, the actor’s been dating a martial arts instructor named Tiffany Chen, who’s the daughter of famed martial artist, William C.C. Chen.
Introducing Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro
Robert De Niro shared the first details of his new arrival with Gayle King on CBS Morning, along with a photo of the child in a pink onesie. The Oscar-winner and girlfriend Tiffany Chen welcomed Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro to the world on April 6, 2023.
The baby girl was born weighing 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and the couple said they were “over the moon” about the newest member of their family.
In a 2024 interview with the American Association of Retired Persons, the actor gave some insight on what it has been like to be a new father again at his age, saying, “It feels great, because everything that I’m consumed with or worried about or this or that just goes away when I look at her. That in itself is wondrous.
“She has a very sweet kind of way of looking at you and just taking you in,” he continued. “And my other daughter Helen had that too. They just look at you and take it in. I don’t know where it’s going to go with her later when she gets older. But she’s thinking and she’s observing everything and watching. It’s really interesting.”
Regarding his age, De Niro said that “it’s great,” and added, “I want to be around for as long as I can to enjoy it [and] enjoy her.”
Robert De Niro says he’s an ‘OK’ cool dad
When the ET Canada reporter asked if Robert De Niro was the “cool dad,” he replied that he was “OK.”
He went on to explain his experience with parenting, saying, “I mean, there’s no way around it with kids. I don’t like to have to lay down the law and stuff like that. But, [sometimes] you just have no choice. And any parent, I think, would say the same thing. You always want to do the right thing by the children and give them the benefit of the doubt but sometimes you can’t.”
He continued, “You know, my kids disagree with me at times, and they’re respectful. My daughter, she’s 11, she gives me grief sometimes and I argue with her. I adore her, but, you know. And my youngest now, that’ll be more to come. But, that’s what it is.”
Robert De Niro encourages his children to follow their dreams
Being the Hollywood superstar that he is, Robert De Niro explained how he encourages his children to pursue their dreams without fear, whether that’s in acting or not.
“For my kids, I tell them, ‘If you want to be an actor or you want to do this or that, that’s fine as long as you’re happy. Just don’t sell yourself short,” he said in an interview with PEOPLE. “That’s the most I would say – push yourself a little more and reach for what you really think it is you want to do. Don’t be afraid.”
Could there be a Pacino-De Niro play date in the future?
At the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, PEOPLE asked Robert De Niro about Al Pacino’s big news. “What a guy,” he said. “Go Al, God bless him.” He was also questioned by Extra about the possibility of future playdates between his and Pacino’s new children. The actor smiled and responded, “That’s a good question.”
Producer Jane Rosenthal also chimed in, revealing that the two had discussed the idea earlier that day. De Niro jokingly added, “Floor play.”
Robert De Niro says his girlfriend does much of the ‘heavy lifting’
In an interview with The Guardian, Robert De Niro said that his partner, Tiffany Chen, does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to raising their baby. “It is what it is,” he shared. “It’s OK. I mean, I don’t do the heavy lifting. I’m there, I support my girlfriend. But she does the work. And we have help, which is so important.”
He added that he continues to enjoy fatherhood, telling the interviewer when asked, “[I enjoy] all of it. With a baby it’s different [than] with my 11-year-old. My adult children. My grandchildren. It’s all different.
Older fathers have their critics
Not everyone is happy about these new babies. Former talk show host Chelsea Handler expressed disapproval of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro having children at their late ages. She also included actor Alec Baldwin and billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk in her criticism. Baldwin has eight children, while Musk has 10.
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In an Instagram video, Handler said, “There’s an epidemic sweeping the country and, no, it’s not another virus, it’s worse. [Dirty] old men who won’t stop spreading their seed.” She continued, “They cannot stop procreating. Between the four of those guys, they have 32 children.”