For most of us, Old Schoolers, when we think of Robert De Niro (74), we think of him as a true OG actor legend. For decades, we’ve watched the him transform into an array of characters, but there’s one role that requires no rehearsal lines, nor costumes for De Niro: his real life role as the father of 6 children. He’s very proud of his kids and his son, Raphael De Niro (43), has now managed to step outside of his Pop’s enormous shadow and create his own lane- a very lucrative one at that. Raphael also has a famous R&B singer cousin. Scroll down for details…
African American Actress Is The Mother Of De Niro’s Son
In case y’all didn’t already know, Robert De Niro has always dated and/or married African American women, including Raphael De Niro’s mother/actress, Diahnne Abbott (73). Diahnne’s most popular roles were in the 1986 film, “JoJo Dancer, Your Life is Calling,” and in the 1976 film, “Taxi Driver,” alongside De Niro. FYI: Diahnne is Robert’s FIRST WIFE, he’s currently married to his 2nd wife, Grace Hightower, who is also Black.
Robert and Diahnne were married from 1976 to 1988 and although their union didn’t last, their unconditional love for their two children (including Diahnne’s biological daughter, Drena, who Robert adopted back in the day) remained constant.
Who Is De Niro’s Successful Son?
Fast forward to today and Robert and Diahnne’s son, Raphael, is making CRAZY noise in the New York real estate game. He’s a real estate broker and founder of The De Niro Team at New York’s Douglas Elliman real estate firm and has built his name in the game as one of Manhattan’s top real estate agents. In 2016 alone, Raphael sold $721.4 MILLION worth of high end New York properties. Also, of course his client list is jam-packed with a long list of celebs, including Renée Zellweger, Kelly Ripa, and countless others. He and his dad own several properties together, including New York’s infamous Greenwich Hotel.
Son Does NOT Want To Be Compared To His Famous Relatives
Despite his famous relatives, Raphael revealed in an interview with The Real Deal, that he didn’t even realize his parents were famous until his pops started really blowin’ up in the late 80’s:
“Not until about 1988 [Raphael said of his revelation that his dad was famous], when my dad’s career started to take off in a commercial way. Prior to that, he was more of an actor’s actor. 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.”
Even though he “stopped caring” about being in the shadows of his father, Raphael still admitted that for him, it has always been of the upmost importance that he does not allow himself, nor his work, to lean on his family’s name. He admitted, in that same interview, that he only wanted 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.”
His Parents Fought To Keep Him Grounded
Raphael De Niro: “I always had some kind of summer job — folding rugs in this Persian rug store, working as a production assistant for my dad or working as a busboy at Nobu [his dad is a co-founder] when it opened in 1994. My parents felt it was good for me to get some responsibility. They were worried that I’d become a typical Hollywood kid. It’s part of why I think they moved me to New York. -via The Real Deal
His Famous R&B Singer Cousin
Another fun fact about Raphael Di Nero that caught our attention, is that his parents aren’t the only famous celebs in his family. Guess what ILOSM fam?’ Raphael’s cousin is none other than Gregory Abbot a.k.a. the cat who had us vibin’ to “Shake You Down” in the mid 80’s! Gregory is the cousin to Raphael’s mother, Diahnne Abbott and if his name still doesn’t ring a bell for you, check out his video up top…this one will definitely bring back classic memories for any old school R&B lover.
