De Niro's parents, who had met at the painting classes of Hans Hofmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts, divorced when he was two years old after his father announced that he was gay.
Kedua orang tua de Niro, bertemu di kelas melukis Hans Hofmann di Provincetown, Massachusetts, namun bercerai ketika ia berusia tiga tahun setelah ayahnya mengumumkan bahwa dia gay.