Grace Hightower
Encyclopedia
Grace Hightower De Niro (born April 7, 1955) is an American philanthropist
, actress and singer.
.
In 2010 the New York Women’s Foundation, established to help low-income women, honored Hightower for her work and as a role model for women. She is an active socialite
, and her gala 55th birthday party was covered in Vogue
by André Leon Talley
.
She presented the Pratt Institute
's Creative Spirit Award to director Lee Daniels
. Hightower worked with Daniels on the film Precious
, in which she played a social worker and contributed the song "Somethin's Comin' My Way" to the soundtrack
. She previously played a minor role on an episode of NYPD Blue
.
, whom she met in London
in 1987 and married in 1997. The couple's early marital troubles played out in the press, with a 1999 divorce filing
by Robert De Niro and a 2001 custody case
over their son Elliot; however, the divorce was never finalized and in 2004 they renewed their vows.
In 2005 Candice Bergen
, Renee Rockefeller and Hightower were identified as victims of Lucyna Turyk-Wawrynowicz, a kleptomaniac celebrity maid who stole a pair of $95,500 diamond
earrings from Hightower.
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
, actress and singer.
Career
Hightower began a career in modeling after being spotted while working as a flight attendant for TWATwa
The Twa are any of several hunting peoples of Africa who live interdependently with agricultural Bantu populations, and generally hold a socially subordinate position: They provide the farming population with game in exchange for agricultural products....
.
In 2010 the New York Women’s Foundation, established to help low-income women, honored Hightower for her work and as a role model for women. She is an active socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....
, and her gala 55th birthday party was covered in Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
by André Leon Talley
André Leon Talley
André Leon Talley is the former American editor-at-large for Vogue magazine, listed as Contributing Editor in the April 2010 masthead. Talley has been a front-row regular at fashion shows in New York, Paris, London and Milan for more than 25 years...
.
She presented the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
's Creative Spirit Award to director Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels
Lee Louis Daniels is an American actor, film producer, and director. He produced Monster's Ball and directed the film Precious, which received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Director; the film won two of the awards.-Early years:Daniels was born on Christmas Eve, 1959, in...
. Hightower worked with Daniels on the film Precious
Precious (film)
Precious , is a 2009 American drama film directed by Lee Daniels. Precious is an adaptation by Geoffrey S. Fletcher of the 1996 novel Push by Sapphire. The film stars Gabourey Sidibe, Mo'Nique, and Paula Patton...
, in which she played a social worker and contributed the song "Somethin's Comin' My Way" to the soundtrack
Precious (soundtrack)
Precious: Soundtrack, was released, first as a digital download, prior to the release of the film of the same name on November 3, 2009. Nearly three weeks later, the soundtrack was released to stores on November 23...
. She previously played a minor role on an episode of NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue
NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan...
.
Personal life
Hightower is the wife of actor Robert De NiroRobert De Niro
Robert De Niro, Jr. is an American actor, director and producer. His first major film roles were in Bang the Drum Slowly and Mean Streets, both in 1973...
, whom she met in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1987 and married in 1997. The couple's early marital troubles played out in the press, with a 1999 divorce filing
Divorce in the United States
Like marriage, divorce in the United States is the province of the state governments, not the federal government. Divorce or "dissolution of marriage" is a legal process in which a judge or other authority dissolves the bonds of matrimony existing between two persons, thus restoring them to the...
by Robert De Niro and a 2001 custody case
Child custody
Child custody and guardianship are legal terms which are used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent and his or her child, such as the right of the parent to make decisions for the child, and the parent's duty to care for the child.Following ratification of the United...
over their son Elliot; however, the divorce was never finalized and in 2004 they renewed their vows.
In 2005 Candice Bergen
Candice Bergen
Candice Patricia Bergen is an American actress and former fashion model.She is known for starring in two TV series, as the title character on the situation comedy Murphy Brown , for which she won five Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards; and as Shirley Schmidt on the comedy-drama Boston Legal...
, Renee Rockefeller and Hightower were identified as victims of Lucyna Turyk-Wawrynowicz, a kleptomaniac celebrity maid who stole a pair of $95,500 diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
earrings from Hightower.