Robert De Niro, wife split after 20 years

Actor has been living apart from Grace Hightower for a while now

LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro and his wife of more than 20 years have decided to separate, media reports said on Tuesday.

De Niro, 75, and Grace Hightower, 63, have been living apart for some time, The Hollywood Reporter, celebrity website TMZ and People magazine said, quoting anonymous sources. De Niro’s spokesman did not return a request for comment.

The Raging Bull actor and Hightower married in 1997 and have two children together. It was De Niro’s second marriage. “Sometimes things don’t work out the way you hope or want them to,” a source close to the family told People magazine.

PHOTO: REUTERS

De Niro, one of America’s most respected actors and winner of two Oscars, has tended to keep his family and his private life out of the spotlight. He made headlines last month when he was among a slew of critics of US President Donald Trump who were sent crude pipe bombs in the mail. None of the devices exploded and a Florida man was arrested and is awaiting trial for the act.

PHOTO: FILE

This is, however, not the first time De Niro and Hightower have broken up. The pair called it quits once before in 1999, before reuniting and renewing their vows later on in 2004.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.