When Robert De Niro first met Grace Hightower, she was a waitress at Mr. Chow restaurant in London. After pursuing several other relationships, De Niro started a relationship with Hightower, and they got married in 1997. One year later, their son was born. Just one year after that, De Niro filed for divorce. This was not the end of their relationship.

In 2004, the couple decided not to get divorced after all. Instead, they renewed their wedding vows. In 2011, the couple had a second child together, a daughter.

It seemed like their relationship was finally stable, but it didn’t last long. Hightower had started a coffee company, and De Niro was reportedly concerned about how expensive this coffee company was. According to a source, De Niro and Hightower were no longer living together in 2018.

Fast forward to 2020, and the former couple signed a custody agreement, but their divorce settlement was far from finalized.

Before saying “I do,” the couple signed a prenup. According to the prenup, Hightower was entitled to a $6 million apartment, $500,000 cash, $1 million every year in alimony, and 50% of the value of their marital residence. This wasn’t good enough for Hightower. She believed she deserved more.

In divorce documents, Hightower claimed she only earned $15,000 a year, so she believed she should be entitled to more considering De Niro is worth approximately $500 million. Watch the video below for more information about De Niro’s love life including his relationship with Hightower.

There is an update to this story. The court did not side with Hightower. The appellate court decision reads, “The husband’s income earned during the marriage and other business assets acquired during that time are his separate property.”

In the end, Hightower gets $6 million to pay for a home for herself and her children plus $1 million a year until she remarries or either she or De Niro dies. In addition, the couple will sell their $20 million home and share the profit.