Robert De Niro Taught His Supermodel Ex-girlfriend One Very Important Life-Lesson Despite Their Short-lived Romance in the ‘90s

Hollywood veteran Robert De Niro has been in some rather high-profile relationships. From actress and singer Diahnne Abbott to whom he was married for over a decade, to actress and philanthropist Grace Hightower, whom he married and divorced twice, his relationships have often been the subject of public and media scrutiny due to his prominent status in the industry.

One of De Niro’s ex-partners is supermodel Naomi Campbell. Their relationship was very private, so not much is known about it. However, Campbell once revealed the lesson that she learned from the Taxi Driver actor while dating him.

Robert De Niro Taught Naomi Campbell an Important Life Lesson

Robert De Niro was married to Diahnne Abbott from 1976 to 1988 after meeting her on the set of Taxi Driver, which marked the actress’ first credited role. Besides his son Raphael, he also adopted Abbott’s daughter Drena from a previous relationship.

Following this, he was in a long-term relationship with Toukie Smith, and although the couple never tied the knot, they had two twin sons, Aaron and Julian. Their relationship ended in 1995 and two years later, he married Grace Hightower, to whom he was married for almost two decades and had two children.

At some point in the ’90s, he dated Naomi Campbell, but there is not much information regarding their relationship, which implies that it was probably short-lived. That said, Campbell once revealed the life lesson she learned from The Intern actor.

In 2019, Campbell starred in one of WSJ. Magazine’s three October covers. In the interview, she talked about how she was taking her dating life slow, and the valuable advice she received from De Niro.

For me, privacy is important to know each other, and I always worry that my job will not allow that. But I have ways. I was taught that by Robert De Niro. Being alone doesn’t mean you are lonely. I don’t have time to be bored, and I don’t have time to be lonely.

The former The Face host told The Times that she has been on friendly terms with the Mean Streets star and even met him before the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Naomi Campbell Refused to Make a Documentary About Her Life

Campbell has been in the entertainment industry since she was a young kid. She was one of the six models of her generation who were declared supermodels. Her life has not been a walk through the park and she has never been one to pretend that it has been that way. 

In the interview, she talked about how she would never put her integrity at risk, and that included making a documentary about her life. 

I’ve been asked constantly to do a documentary. People say, ‘We’ll give you a small fee.’ It’s like, you think I’m stupid? I know what my life is. I know that it’s been very colorful. It’s like, I’m going to give it away? No.

While many artists have had documentaries made about their lives, Campbell evidently does not believe in making her private life public.