Following the recent news of Robert De Niro's seventh child, his partner, Tiffany Chen, has opened up about a challenging health journey after giving birth to their daughter, Gia Virginia Chen-De Niro. In an upcoming interview with Gayle King on "CBS Mornings," Chen revealed she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy.
Chen described the initial symptoms as a strange tingling and numbness in her tongue, which later progressed to a feeling of facial distortion. "My face felt weird," she recounted, explaining that the sensation worsened after returning home. "It was like everything was starting to just fall down on itself. Like my face was melting."
A week postpartum, the symptoms escalated, prompting Chen to contact her doctor. The martial arts instructor and kickboxer shared a particularly striking instance where the condition impacted her ability to eat. "I went to put just a fork of food in my mouth, and everything came out. I couldn't eat, and then I was starting to slur."
Upon arriving at the hospital, Chen was immediately admitted and discovered the extent of the paralysis. "I lost all facial function. The minute I got into the hospital," she stated. The full interview is scheduled to air on Friday.
De Niro and Chen initially met in 2015 while filming "The Intern," where Chen provided tai chi instruction to De Niro and Anne Hathaway. Their romantic relationship began several years later, with their first public appearance together in 2021 at De Niro's 78th birthday celebration in France.
Gia is De Niro's seventh child, joining his six other children from previous relationships. This includes daughter Drena and son Raphael with ex-wife Diahnne Abbott, twin sons Julian and Aaron with ex Toukie Smith, and Elliot and Helen Grace with ex-wife Grace Hightower.
This news comes shortly after the tragic passing of De Niro's grandson, Leandro, earlier this month, a loss that deeply affected the family.
