Toukie Smith and actor Robert De Niro become parents of twins

Jet, Nov 20, 1995

Restaurateur and actress Toukie Smith and her former boyfriend, actor Robert De Niro, are the proud parents of twin boys. The twins recently were born to a surrogate mother.

"De Niro and Smith will continue their separate personal and professional lives," said Stan Rosenfield, De Niro's spokesman. "They look forward to sharing the parenting of the children."

Although the couple's relationship ended several years ago, they "obviously still have a very strong bond," said Andrew Freedman, Smith's spokesman. The twins were conceived through modern fertility techniques and were carried by a surrogate mother.

Smith and De Niro had tried to have children together during their relationship, the Daily News reports.

Smith, 43, is owner of Toukie's restaurant in Manhattan She "is excited about being able to create her own life,"her spokesman said in USA Today. Smith, a former model who has graced the covers of several high fashion magazines, is the sister of deceased fashion designer Willie Smith.

De Niro, 52, has three other children with an ex-wife. He's working on a movie in San Francisco.