Tiffany Chen’s Struggle with Bell’s Palsy
Last May, Robert De Niro announced he had become a father for the seventh time at the age of 79, with his new partner, martial arts champion Tiffany Chen, who gave birth to a baby girl named Gia Virginia in April. Unfortunately, the 45-year-old new mother revealed in an interview that she was struck by Bell’s Palsy after giving birth to the little one: “When I came home I started to feel my tongue was strange, it was tingling a bit, it was starting to become numb. I realised my face was strange, like it was melting in on itself.” The champion sought medical help and was immediately admitted to hospital, but there the situation worsened: “I put a forkful of food in my mouth and it all came out. I couldn’t eat and I also started to mumble. I lost all facial functions as soon as I entered hospital.”
Robert De Niro’s Support
The 45-year-old also talked about what scared her the most when her face was paralysed: “I couldn’t smile at Gia Virginia, I couldn’t kiss her. I was wondering: what if I don’t get better? Will my daughter be made fun of because of her strange-looking mother?” In that dark period, her partner was “a great support”: “Robert was very strong, he was always trying to reassure me, he helped me a lot.”
Tiffany Chen’s Message to Other Women
Now, thanks to medical care, the worst is over and Tiffany and Robert can enjoy all the joy brought by little Gia Virginia. The martial arts champion can finally smile at her baby. But in this magical moment she doesn’t forget the other women who find themselves facing Bell’s Palsy. Chen, usually very reserved, chose to tell her story publicly to make them understand that “they shouldn’t lock themselves in the house”: “There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
