Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty
Robert De Nirohas split from his wife,Grace Hightower, after more than 20 years of marriage.
The Oscar winner released a statement about the separation a week after PEOPLE confirmed the two were going their separate ways.
“Grace and I have two beautiful children together. We are entering a period of transition in our relationship which is a difficult but constructive process,” the statement read. “I honor Grace as a wonderful mother and ask for privacy and respect from all as we proceed to develop our roles as partners in parenting.”
The Wizard of Liesactor, 75, married Hightower, 63, in 1997 after dating for a decade. They share two children together: 20-year-old son Elliott and 6-year-olddaughter Helen Grace.
This isn’t the first time the two have separated. De Niro filed for divorce in 1999 andengaged into a custody disputeover their son. The pair eventually smoothed things over and the divorce was never finalized.
In November 2004, thetwo renewed their vowsin front of an A-list crowd such as Martin Scorsese, Meryl Streep, Ben Stiller, Tom Brokaw and others.
De Niro and Hightower at the Tony Awards in New York City.Kevin Mazur/Getty
At the time, theRaging Bullactor jokingly referred to their previous marital problems saying he wanted to “make sure this one sticks.”
The two were last seen on the red carpet in June when they attended the 72nd Annual Tony Awards in New York City. While De Niro has kept his private life out of the spotlight he did show his softer side while speaking about his family.
De Niro also has four other children: daughter Drena, 47, and son Raphael, 42 with former wife Diahnne Abbott, as well as 23-year-old twin sons Julian and Aaron, with ex-girlfriend Toukie Smith.
Page Sixfirst reported the news.
source: people.com
