Robert De Niro was the guest of honour at Stella McCartney’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony in London on Wednesday night.
The Hollywood icon, 82, was in festive spirits as he joined singer Lulu and the British designer at her Old Bond Street store for the party.
De Niro has ties to the fashion designer, famously blaming his ex wife Grace Hightower’s penchant for Stella’s clothes for his dwindling bank balance during the pair’s bitter divorce battle.
Back in 2021 De Niro claimed that the divorce had wrung him dry and he was fast running out of cash.
Hightower’s average monthly spend was reported at the time to be $215,000 a month on credit cards and $160,000 in cash. De Niro’s attorney, Caroline Krauss, claimed his estranged wife’s extravagant lifestyle was making his post-Covid financial situation worse.
‘Mr. De Niro is 77 years old. And while he loves his craft, he should not be forced to work at this prodigious pace because he has to,’ Krauss said at the time.
Robert De Niro was the guest of honour at Stella McCartney’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony in London on Wednesday night
The Hollywood icon, 82, was in festive spirits as he joined singer Lulu and the British designer at her Old Bond Street store for the party
‘When does that stop? When does he get the opportunity to not maybe take every project that comes along? Or not work six-day weeks, 12-hour days, simply to keep up with Ms. Hightower’s thirst for Stella McCartney?’
In April 2022, a judge ruled that his ex-wife should receive $1 million annually and that the couple will split the proceeds after selling their $20 million home.
The Hollywood icon is dad to seven kids — his youngest being two-year-old daughter Gia, whom he shares with girlfriend Tiffany Chen, 45.
Speaking in January, the actor revealed he ‘tries his best’ to be a good father to his children but admits that ‘family is complex’.
Alongside Gia, the Godfather star also has six other other children; Drena, 56, and Raphael, 47 with his ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, Elliot, 25, and Helen, 12, with ex-wife Grace Hightower, and twins Aaron and Julian, 28, with former girlfriend, Toukie Smith.
He told The Times that if each of his children were asked to describe him that would ‘all have a different answer’.
Robert added: ‘Family is so complex. I try my best (as a father), that’s all. I hope they’ll be happy.’
He sweetly added of spending time with his daughter Gia: ‘I’m an early riser. I’ve got a 19-month-old baby. I spend my mornings watching [the YouTuber for toddlers] Ms Rachel with her, and I give her her bottle.’
De Niro – who has 120 credits to his name over a 60 year period – also recently made a bold career decision on filmmaking.
De Niro has ties to Stella, famously blaming his ex wife Grace Hightower’s penchant for Stella’s clothes for his dwindling bank balance during the pair’s bitter divorce battle
Back in 2021 De Niro claimed that the divorce had wrung him dry and he was fast running out of cash; pictured with Grace Hightower in 2016
Singer Lulu was also part of the festivities, serenading guests from the balcony of the store
The star was in great spirits as she wrapped up warm in fluffy black ear muffs
Stella’s brother James also joined the fun, posing for fun snaps with his designer sibling
The designer posed with fashionable friends Bel Priestley and Mary Charteris
The native New Yorker is investing in the city he loves and has served as a muse in his career as he just opened a 775,000-square-foot production studio in Queens along with his son Raphael De Niro and business partner Adam Gordon.
‘I have always loved shooting in New York. There’s no place like New York,’ Robert told the New York Times in August.
The film industry has suffered in the state in recent years including strikes, the cutting of workforce, and productions moving out of state.
Robert is hoping to change that after New York Governor Kathy Hochul approved $800million in film subsidies for productions in the state.
Now the star is hoping to exclusively film in the state as he told the publication: ‘It’s always better to shoot in New York, period.’
