Why Robert De Niro Fears For His Children’s Safety

He tries to stay real with his kids. He said: “I try to be honest with my kids and have them confide in me, if you will. I let them know that what they’re going through is not very different from what I went through growing up.”

In 2020, he talked about raising biracial children and how it changed his view of the world. He said: “My children are all half Black and I don’t have, even me, I take certain things for granted. When people say that they tell their kids, ‘Keep your hands (out) when you’re stopped by any cops, keep your hands on the steering wheel, don’t make a sudden move, don’t put your hands below, don’t do this,’ you understand that. That’s scary. That has to change.”

De Niro encourages his kids to go after what makes them happy. He told another outlet: “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.’”

Robert has also stayed close with some of his longtime friends. He’s had a deep friendship with Meryl Streep for years, and they’ve worked together on several films across multiple decades.